


Garas Vhenas

by RachielDen



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Ancient Elvhenan, Ancient Wars, Angst, But she is Starting to, Cussing, Death, Dragons, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, I know what I'm doing, Immortality, MGiT, Memories, Modern Girl in Thedas, Not really though, POV First Person, Pain, Post Veil, Pre Veil, Rebellion, Red Lyrium, She belongs though, Slavery, Smut, Survivor - Freeform, The Blight, Torture, Trying to make it as realistic as possible, We are starting at the beginning..., bad language, long haul - Freeform, mild burn, she doesn't remember, the smut has arrived
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-02-12 17:59:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 77,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12965190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachielDen/pseuds/RachielDen
Summary: Ten long years I was on Earth. Or, I thought it was long. Nothing makes sense anymore. All I know, is that the world I've bounced into now is not the same. I'm not the same. Survive, goal one. Freedom, goal two. Both of them long term, but nothing less is acceptable.I don't remember my past, the 'before'. Earth is all I knew, now there is a new world and my past is out to get me.*Hasn't been abandoned, I promise! Life is just crazy right now and writers block is a crappy thing.*





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is appreciated. If something is confusing, let me know. If it doesn't reveal major plot points I'll clarify, if it does I ask you to be patient, which if you're like me can be uber difficult. There is only me, no one else so grammatical errors are bound to happen. I read, re-read, and then proof read AGAIN. I could probably cite this word for word to you is how many times I've read this.... 
> 
> Oh, and the title means "Come Home" roughly... all Elvhen language is taken from the Elvhen Project by FenxShiral. Translations will be listed at the bottom, but that will be later in the story probably. For now, all italic words that are in quotes is the Elvhen language, it has a purpose I promise. 
> 
> If you like this I ask that you be patient, chapter two will also be up today because chapter one is uncharacteristically short for me. Most of my chapters range around ten pages in Word. If you want to see things in this story, tell me and I'll see if I can work it in. 
> 
> Also, if I'm not doing a character just please for the love of all that is holy tell me because I want this to be as good as possible. 
> 
> And that is a lot so... if you read it all... on to the story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A survivor. That's what I am. Beyond all things. My life has been interesting, long, but interesting. My tale starts long ago, in a world with out the Veil. But I can't remember, its the "before". Originally I was on a beach, on a Planet called Earth. Ten long years I was there. Or I thought it was a long time. For there, it probably was. Then one day... I just disappeared.

Chapter 1

Angel or devil, lover or fighter; the line between good and evil. The world isn't black and white, because people aren't black and white. There are hues of grays and silvers in the middle. The choice between right and wrong can be muddled. Sometimes people think they know best, that it is up to them to save the world. But can a world truly be saved? Is it the world that's worth saving? Or the people?

            What is a world _without_ people but a hunk of rock hurling through space at mind blowing speeds? The universe is full of them. So do people make the world? What makes people? Is it the color of their skin, the shade of their eyes, and the length of their hair? Their religious or political beliefs? Or is it their values and deeds that make a person?

            If only it was that simple. Perhaps it would have been if I was still on Earth, where there is only humanity. It might have been easier if I could remember my past, beyond the last ten years. Or why I was sucked through some spatial pocket into another reality. If this world didn't have two moons and a perpetual blue glow to it perhaps I could be convinced that I was still on Earth, subject to some sort of dream that took a wrong turn in Albuquerque.

            But you don't feel pain in dreams. And the pain in my shoulder is very real. It's clouding my mind, making it difficult to see. The arrow, _god help me who shoots fucking wood arrows_ , the ARROW is lodged in the bone. I can feel the tip grinding against muscle and sinew. With each step I take in attempt to get away from the crazy that shot me it digs deeper. I think the tip is barbed because I attempted to pull it out but it wouldn't budge.

            A cracking sound echoes off into the night as I snap the shaft off the arrow leaving a two inch stub protruding from my skin. I'm probably going to die here, but not before I make a stand. I will not go quietly into whatever waits in the beyond. It didn't matter which world I found myself in, I would struggle for that last breath. Because life comes down to survival. Its fight or flight. Both meant to preserve the fragile existence that is _life_.

            The shaft falls to the ground as I hide behind a tree. The sound of cackling in the distance overwhelms me. It sounds vaguely feminine, though with demonic undertones that would rival any horror movie I've ever seen. I can feel the flight instinct bubbling up inside me and it takes a monumental effort to shove it aside so I can think with a cool and calculated head.

            Blindly running through the forest making as much noise as I possibly can is an invitation for an arrow to the back. Not to mention that I would probably be stupid enough to glance behind me and trip over a protruding root or well-placed rock. No, I need to be level when dealing with this kind of threat. I feel like I am in that short story where people hunt people and I can't for the life of me remember if the prey got away or not.

            _Well… time to write your own ending._

            God I had been so stupid to follow that orb to the beach. But its words had called out to me. Little Max was going to survive because I had some sort of magic running through my veins. If only the orb had dropped me somewhere other than this forsaken forest.

            Thinking of that now though wasn't going to help me in this situation. Pressing myself off the tree I start to move as quietly as possible as I can through the forest. I don't know how far she is behind me but I need to get as far from her as I can.

            My quite trudge forward continues until I've found a river. Quickly I wade in to the water, its cold and it sucks the breath from my lungs as I move deep enough that it seeps into my shirt. Gasping I turn over onto my back and allow it to steal me away from this place.

            The current gently rocks me back and forth. My body, accustomed to a life on the water, moves fluidly with the motions. Quietly I try and think of what led me to this moment.

            I can't remember anything before ten years ago. Nana, _falon_ who is not _falon_ , found me on a beach, the beach that took me here. When she found me there was a huge wound on the side of my body, spanning from waist to just under my breast. Someone had tried to kill me once. Was it the crazy that shot me?

            Somehow I didn't think it was. She seemed to really favor that bow of hers. I didn't know her very well, obviously, but it feels wrong to think of her digging into someone with a blade. If it was a blade that sliced me like that, but what else could it be? The doctors couldn't tell me what had caused the wound, finding remnants of metal that didn't exist on Earth.

            Because it came from here.

            _God Emma you really are stupid!_ I chastise as I watch the shore. It's moving quickly past me and it must have carried me quite a distance by now. I need to get this arrow head out of me. To do that I'm probably going to have to make a bigger hole in my shoulder. That doesn't sound like fun to me.

            My head swivels to the opposite shore. Should I cross and risk a fire? I'll need to sterilize whatever object that I'm going to use or risk-

            I laugh quietly. Before this morning that might have been a problem. But now? I was some sort of magical being that could heal fatal injuries. I just needed to get the arrow head out. Gritting my teeth I roll over and start for the opposite side.

            Just how far can my magic go? Is it strictly healing or are there other things that I can do? Am I like… a druid from WoW? Where I have different classes that I can spec into? Or am I a priest where I can use holy energy to either damage or heal?

            Do I get to pick what I am?

            And that was a bizarre line of questioning. I'm not in some sort of character creation screen. I'm not rolling dice across a board to see if I meet the roll check to cast fireball at a raid boss. There was no cast times here. No release button so I can run back to a corpse and start the fight over again, or a screen asking if I wanted to reload from the last save. This was real, and for better or worse I was in a different world. I can figure out what I can do later, after the arrow is out.

            My right arm pumps through the water while my legs propel me forward. Each movement causes the skin on my left to pull and before I am even halfway across I am practically sobbing with pain. Gritting my teeth I continue to push forward, there is nothing else to do. I won't lay down and die, I've survived worse. I don't _remember_ it, but I have. This isn't going to be the end of me.

            The shore approaches me at a snail's pace, and when it is finally within reach I flop over letting out a little cry when the arrow head shifts slightly and digs into my flesh. Soaked through and through I roll onto my stomach and push up onto my knees. Staggering forward I gain my feet and start the long walk into the forest, eyes on the ground looking for a sharp object to make that additional cut.

            Tears fall down my eyes as every muscle in my body threatens to seize. Only determination keeps me moving forward.

            Black glittering glass like object catches my eye. It looks like obsidian, which can be used as a knife if it's sharp enough. Stumbling over to it I see that it is too small for my purposes. I reluctantly leave it behind and move on. There has to be more.

            Night begins to fall and my clothes are still drying. I hope the nights aren't too cold here this time of year. Though the day had been nice and warm I know nights can be a different story. In deserts it can get as high as a hundred and twenty degrees, at night it can plummet well below freezing. I am not in a desert though so I'm hopeful.

            When its too dark to continue I slump down against a tree.

            This isn't good. I'm still bleeding, the water could have Lord knows what kind of bacteria in it. Not to mention that the blood will most likely attract predators. In truth I'm not sure why I haven't been attacked by a jaguar or whatever large apex predator that inhabits this world.

            Frustration builds up.

            "I just want a _knife!_ " I growl quietly. There is a slight buildup of the strange sensation I had while healing Little Max and then there is a cool press of metal against my right hand. Slowly I turn my face toward my palm. Resting gently in my loose grip is a glittering silver blade. My mind blanks, okay… that's weird.

            Refusing to look a gift horse in the mouth I lift it to my mouth and bite down on the handle. Ripping a hole in my shirt I lift the cloth off the remaining portion of the arrow shaft. Closing my eyes in preparation. I've never even thought about digging a knife into my skin and now I need to do it to save my life.

            It's a good thing I'm not squeamish.

            Jerking my hand I rip the rest of my sleeve off and roll it up. Swapping the cloth for the blade I bite down again and shift slightly before touching the tip of the knife to my skin. Steeling my nerves I press deep and drag down quickly.

            The cloth muffles the scream, but not by much. Agony sears through my shoulder and I sob as I drop the knife. My head twists back and forth against the bark of the tree. Air is sucked quickly in and out of my nose as I fight to remain conscious.

            Black dots the edges of my vision but I'm scared that if I go under now I won't wake up.

            "Come on Emma…" I moan as I bounce my head off the tree trying to clear it and stay awake. The world blurs for a second before clearing. A sigh escapes me, relief mixes with the pain and I look down at the cut I made.

            I suck.

            I suck so hard.

            It isn't deep enough.

            My fingers are shaky as I reach out for the blade, hand patting against the ground in search of that cool metal. It's gone. Okay. I can do this. I hold up my hand, seeing how dirty it is I wipe most of the soil off on my pants. Shaking my wrist I hold it up again. Pressing my desire for a knife to appear I wait with baited breath.

            "Knife." I speak thinking that it is a trigger or something. Still nothing happens. There is no swirl of strange energy or dazzling light. Just me feeling like an idiot. I would think I was hallucinating if the pain wasn't throbbing in my shoulder so intensely. I _know_ I did this before.

            " _Knife_." I growl like I had before. Still nothing. "Oh for the lov-! Come on!"

            It pops into existence. Alright… triggered on emotions or strong want. At least for now.

            This time I keep my eyes open as I make little cuts. The cloth fell out of my mouth during my screaming and ravings and I couldn't bring myself to put it back _in_ because its all muddy now.

            Slowly I make progress, pausing frequently when I feel light headed or black swirls around the edges of my vision again. After what seems like several hours I finally have a hole big enough for my fingers to fit into.

            I'm feeling light headed constantly now and I know that whatever I'm going to do needs to happen quickly, or it won't happen at all.

            Throwing my issues out the window I dig numb fingers into the wound and quickly work the tip of the arrow back and forth. I don't try to stop the whimpering noises that escape from my mouth. That would be a waste of energy that I could use elsewhere.

            It pops free and I quickly toss it away from me before slapping my hand over the hole and bringing the healing flow forth. The sensations stutters before flaring to life. A soothing feeling washes through me and I can feel the flesh knit back together.

            A cry of relief sounds out as the last of the pain vanishes. Bone tired and unable to move I slump over and allow the darkness to claim me.

 

When I come to there is a wet nose snuffling at me. Warm breath washes over my face and I jerk upright only for my face to be pressed into fur. Slamming backward into the tree I stare at the thing that woke me up.

            So grateful that it was terrifying enough to cause my voice to vanish, because I was attempting to scream like a sissy girl.

            It was _massive_ standing taller than any horse I've ever seen. This is obviously the top dog around here. Well… top _wolf_ because it doesn't have the friendly vibe most dogs carry. Long, wickedly sharp, fangs dip past the edges of its lips.

            "Nice wolf." I croon as I step to the side. Its head follows me. One… two… three… Oh four…

            Six. It has six eyes. Is that normal here? They are a stunning electric blue and they are glowing. Its fur is the color of midnight. It isn't growling. Is that good or bad? I swear I read somewhere that it's the quiet wolf that will kill you.

            Or was that in a fantasy novel?

            "You don't want to eat me." I pull up my shoulders and move both hands to my chest. "I'm full of-of… piss and disease and rum."

            One of its ears twitches and its head turns away from me to peer into the depth of the forest. Only now do I realize that the normal sounds that come with this area—birds chirping, leaves rustling branches, the scurrying of things in the underbrush—have stopped. The wolf turns its head back toward me and butts its head against my stomach.

            Stumbling backward I fall. The wolf huffs in a manner that I've never seen _any_ animal do. It steps forward and nudges me again.

            "Hey!" I cry out as it lifts me with its jaws. The wolf quietly places me feet first on the ground before releasing me and nudging me again. "Okay, okay!" I start to walk in the direction its pushing me. The ugly thought that the wolf is asking me politely to go back to its den so that I can be devoured in peace enters my mind. Maybe I can ditch it later?

            Right, because I can lose a wolf that is the size of a semi-truck.

            A cackling laughter flows into the air. My blood freeze in my veins.

            "Shit." I whisper as I start to move faster. Before long I'm running, big wolf forgotten. It would almost be better for it to kill me then her. Because at least then I would be feeding the food chain instead of fueling her lust for killing.

            Glancing over my shoulder I see that the wolf is sitting down as he watches in the opposite direction, tail curled majestically around his paws.

            This place was weird as shit.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... I hope you liked the previous chapter. My writing style may change on the stories I read so sorry about that. Oh and I forgot to mention a post update time line... pretty much at first it may be regular, or sporadic. I'll try not to leave you hanging if you like it.

Chapter 2

 

I suck in a breath of air as I watch the woman with pointy ears follow the false trail I laid. Not for a moment do I think she's taken the bait. I will not believe it until she is thrown into the pit I constructed days earlier.

            I've seen the wolf from a distance, every time I do his eyes search until they find me. He doesn't get close anymore but he watches like I watch him. I haven't seen him for months, but he'll pop up again. Just like her.

            There is other game in this forest. I've long since learned what I can do with my magic. The strange sensation answers me more readily now, allowing me to hunt and survive. I can conjure fire and weapons, move things with my mind. I'm currently working on making myself invisible, but that's harder than I would have originally thought. Water is purified with a touch. My limbs have strengthened overtime until I can scale trees with no effort or run for half a day without stopping.

            I have yet to find the edge of this forest, though I'm not sure I'm running in a straight line. Or this whole world is a forest. Mountains and caves can be found, but they are covered with foliage as well. This world is a lush oasis, untouched by the evils of technology. There is no deforestation here, no strip mining. It is untouched. The air is pure and clean.

            I've been in this world for a year, more or less, and this woman has hounded my steps every second. It doesn't matter what I toss in her path she is always one step behind me. I sometimes go weeks without spotting her, only the itching sensation between my shoulder blades tells me that she has not given up in her pursuit.

            I know there must be others, because she has language abilities. The words are flowing and I can almost understand them at times. When I am close enough to hear her mutterings, which is rare. Magic is dangerous around her because somehow she can feel it. Uses it to sense when I'm near, I'm learning to do the same. It's rare now that she can find me.

            I can take what I am and press it low inside me, muffle it so to speak. She probably can too, but she's too confident to do such a thing. She moves with a grace that screams she is untouchable. And from what I've seen, she is.

            Something has caught her attention because her face tilts slightly, ears twitch as eyes scan. She lifts her bow and quickly shoots an arrow. A squealing noise causes the hair on my arms to rise. Quickly I cover my mouth with a hand, careful not to slap my skin and give me away. Tears form in my eyes as I watch her pull her game from the forest.

            Just how many of us are out here?

 

A decade has passed and I'm still in this infernal forest. I'm beginning to wonder if there is a way out, or if the whole world is just covered in a lush landscape of towering trees.

            At least I think it's been a decade. I've experienced ten winters in this place. They seem longer than the ones I'm used to though; almost like the trip around their sun is longer than the one on Earth. Or this planet is bigger.

            For now, at least, I seem to have shaken the crazy lady with the bow, though there is now a man walking the forests as well, my wolf savior hasn't been spotted for years and I'm scared she got him. The man doesn't seem to have much interest in me, thankfully.

I thought she was gone completely but her reemergence about thirty weeks or so ago proves that is the wrong assumption. The idea that she will never leave me alone is horrifying. I'm surprised I've managed to live this long. I am more careful now.

            There is a city nearby. I can see the lights through the trees. This is not the first sign of civilization I've seen, but please forgive me my hesitancy of approaching people who hunt their own. I don't know what kind of shit fest I've bounced into but the eleven years I've spent on this world have made me a cautious woman. In fact I've seen dozens of other cities or villages. Some of them seem kind, and I am almost pulled from my spot in search of help.

            I am what they are. Elves, for lack of a better word. We exhibit the same characteristics of the mythological creatures. Long ears, better vision—our eyes glitter in the dark like wild animals—longer lifespans. I haven't aged a day, though that doesn't surprise me. As long as I can remember I haven't aged, nor gained a single wrinkle, liver spot, nothing. I am frozen in time. Just like the rest of them, and the woman.

            From what I've seen the woman has killed over sixty of her kind. Well, I should say, _my_ kind because there is no leaving this place. Even if I wanted to—which I don't because this woman is going to die by my hands—I don't know how to without the orb. And it shattered when I left Earth.

            A twig snaps behind me, causing my focus to shift from the twinkling lights of the city. My body doesn't move though. A slight shift would rustle the tree I'm perched in. It's easier to travel from the branches of the local flora, makes it harder to track. That took me three years alone to learn.

            " _Hunting halla in my forest Dread Wolf? My creatures, which I created with love._ "

            _And she reappears._

            Panic starts to bubble up. I've had closer calls, but just the sound of her voice is enough to send me into full blown panic attacks. She's shot me sixteen times. I've seen her shoot others, I know she is toying with me. Stretching the hunt out until she is satisfied. Once I tried to interact with the others that are out here as well, but that… didn't end well for me. She killed the male before I was even aware of her presence. From then on, I discovered it is easier to remain alone. Less noise when there is only one person making it.

            " _What would be a fitting punishment for your crimes?_ " She drawls. Her rustling through the forest gave me the opportunity to turn slightly and look at where she emerges. Her hair is a shining red color, and her eyes are a honey brown. Her full lips continue to move, " _Well, Wolf? Have you nothing to say for yourself?_ "

            Is it possible…?

            " _I am confident that you will come up with something truly horrible all on your own Andy._ " Her face sours at the name. " _With **out** my assistance._ " She tuts at the man, lower lip sticking out. Her bow is always at her side, the arrows adorning her back never seem to run out, and the tips are made from the same material as her bow. The shafts are a pale white wood that is uncommon in this area.

            The woman—Andy?—is dragging a man behind her. For some reason, she has not killed him. Is he important? Could he potentially be an ally? If she isn't going to kill him, perhaps if I set him _free_ he will be grateful? He doesn't look comfortable. I wince in sympathy as he is drug over a particularly sharp rock. The smell of blood permeates the air.

            My tree shakes slightly as she lifts him like a doll and tosses him against the bark. I lay a steadying hand against my perch and grip the branch under me.

            " _I think here will do quite nicely. At least for now._ " The woman glances around quickly before she conjures a rope that secures him to my hiding spot. " _There is this most delicious prey in the area. Lasts longer than the others, sets traps for me. **Me** , the Huntress._" She scoffs at my audacity and I almost want to acquaint myself with her a little better, I don't because it would be death _._ " _She is my favorite toy though. Feels different than the others._ " She delicately plucks something from her shoulder _._ " _Disappears for months at a time. I can't bring myself to kill her just yet._ " My stomach roils at her words. " _One of the others says that they spotted her in this vicinity._ " Cunning eyes turn back to the man with dreadlocks. " _You haven't seen her have you? No, didn't think you'd tell me if you did. So sympathetic toward them, they are just cattle Dread Wolf._ "

            " _Our people are not-_ " Andy slams the tip of her booted foot into the side of the man's—Dread Wolf?—face effectively cutting him off.

            " _How would you like to serve in my bed for a year and a day?_ " She croons as she crouches in front of him. " _That can't be horrible._ " A finger trails down the Dread Wolf's face and my eyes widen. Talk about huge jump in conversation topics. The bitch is so far off her rocker. I know she's crazy, who shoots other people for sport but people who can't identify with others? Does she even know which way is up?

            " _For one halla? A year Andy-_ " Another blow struck the underside of his face, causing his head to snap upward. His eyes bore into mine. My breath catches in my throat. Please, oh God, _please_ don't say anything.

            I'm going to die here. Eleven years, good run. If I wasn't so terrified I might actually pat myself on my back. As it is however I cannot move. My hand feels like it's welded to the tree, my feet like they've grown roots. I am utterly _stuck_.

            " _It was **my**_ _halla!_ " Andy screams. Passively Dread Wolf—fuckin weird name—lowers his face.

            " _Did I imply otherwise?_ "

            My ear twitches as another man steps into my limited sight.

            " _What are you doing here?_ " Andy hisses as she levels her bow on him. When it came into her hand I have no idea. I know she is quick, but to already have an _arrow_ to the string is stupid fast.

            " _I go where I please._ " He speaks. His tone clearly communicates that he has a superiority complex. " _You do not command me Andruil_." His eyes are flashing between Andruil—Andy apparently is a nickname—and Dread Wolf. " _He should be mine for the crimes he's committed._ " Apparently Wolf boy is a hot commodity around here, do I really want someone like that around me? Would it draw more attention than I already have? Probably.

            Andruil loses an arrow at the cocky man. That escalated quickly. The sounds of battle quickly erupt as No-Name-Yet deflects the gold arrow with a conjured dagger. I say conjured because the half-naked man was defiantly not packing when he walked into on this comically terrifying scene. This further proves that I am like them. Though his blade is engraved lavishly.

            " _You presume much Anaris!_ " The bow is tossed aside as the dagger man closes in on Andruil. They start to trade blows and I see an opportunity to bail the fuck-

            " _Psst!_ "

            I glance down toward the noise. Wolf boy is trying to get my attention, his ocean colored eyes are locked on my face already.

            " _What?_ " I hiss back at him, which was stupid I should have just bolted.

            " _I seem to be tied to a tree._ " He lifts an eyebrow at me.

            " _Seems like a personal problem to me honestly._ " My hand finally comes off the bark of the tree and I prepare to leave. Sad, truly but this bitch is psycho and this is an opportunity for life.

            " _So was Andruil hunting her **toy**._ "

            " _Hey, I never asked you to cover for me._ " My hand points down at him.

            " _And yet I did._ "

            Damn it all to hell. " _Ass._ " I growl as I drop around the back side of the tree. " _Black mailing ass._ _Well, don't just sit there. Distract them. Cause if she so much as **twitches** in my direction I am out of here and you are on-_ "

            Promptly he starts to spill out colorful commentary. It is highly amusing listening to him describe the strange movements, I can almost see it in my mind. Sighing in relief as he continues the tirade. " _Are you blind Anaris? Can you not see that the buckle at her hip is flawed?_ " I glance around the tree and can't see a damned thing wrong with her armor. That would have been useful to know earlier. How Wolf boy knows is beyond me, but whatevs… " _Ohh! So close!_ "

            My fingers find the obsidian dagger at my waist and I start to slice through the bonds that hold him to the tree, blocking out the rest of the commentary. I don't want to use magic around Andruil because she can sense it and that would give away my position. So I have these as backups for when she gets too close. These bad boys are wickedly sharp but dull quickly. Before I'm halfway through the third rope the knife would better serve for spreading butter over bread. Casting it aside I pull another from my belt.

            " _You owe me so big._ " I quip as the last bond falls away. However Wolf boy isn't paying attention. I step around the tree and look down at the sight. There is a massive wound in the side of the woman, and the other man is lying in front of the tree with a gold arrow in his back. Apparently my mind blocked out part of the commentary because I don't remember Anaris getting that close to the two of us.

            " _Forgive me, but this makes us even._ "

            " _Not by a long shot Wolf boy. All you had to do was keep your mouth shut, the woman wanted you as a sex slave, and she wanted me as a pin cushion._ " I level a glare at him.

            " _Wolf boy?_ "

            " _Calling you Dread Wolf is awkward, what kind of name is that anyway?_ " He throws back his head and laughs. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of it. The noise is enough to break me, beautiful. It is beautiful. The only laughter I've heard since I've been here is either demonic cackling or my own shaky one of relief when I evaded Andruil. " _But, you are trying to side track me mister._ "

            " _And what exactly is it that you want little one?_ " The sensation of skin on skin causes my eyes to shoot open. His fingers are tilting my chin up toward his face. I don't know when he's moved but he is standing so close to me that I can feel the heat radiating from his body. It is difficult to resist the urge to press into his hand. They are soft, warm, and very gentle. And it has been so very long since kindness has been directed in my direction.

            " _Protection from her._ " I point at the red head and he looks over his shoulder at her before returning his gaze to me. His eyes sweep my body. I am not proud of the clothing I have acquired, which have been liberated from the dead that dot the landscape in the wake of Andruil. Most of it is covered in dirt or stained from berries. Where there aren't stains there are gaping holes, the edges of them tattered. Scars shine through the holes like beacons to his eyes. He looks upon me with compassion when he finally returns to my face.

            " _Alright little one,_ " he breaths as he steps back. " _I will protect you from Andruil._ " I feel magic gather in the air. Smoke starts to encompass him and I step back, wondering if I've gone from the frying pan into the fire of hell itself. Between one breath and the next the man has vanished as is replaced with-

            I let out barking laughter. Oh Lord save me from my stupid self. I owe this man so much more than I will probably ever realize. Dread Wolf is an apt name.

            " _A little flashy no?_ " I ask as I turn and walk away. " _So, how does this protection work Wolf boy?_ _Am I stuck out here and you jump in to save the day?_ "

            " _You will live with me, until such a time that Andruil has forgotten about you._ " Startling to hear a man's voice come from a wolf's body. " _There I will provide you with the tools to survive on your own._ "

            " _I've been doing that rather well for the last decade or so._ " I snort, " _Although learning more about **what** I am will come in useful._ "

            He walks in front of me; we've covered quite a bit of distance. The fallen elves are long out of sight. " _You are Elvhen._ " He tilts his head in confusion as he forces me to stop walking. " _How do you not know this?_ "

            " _Well, Wolf boy-_ "

            " _If you do not like Dread Wolf, please call me Solas._ "

            " _Emma_." I point to myself. His ear twitches in amusement—how I know it is amusement is beyond me—before he prompts me to keep talking. " _I can't remember my past, or this world. It's so different then what I'm accustomed to. Well… I've spent more time here then I have on Earth so I should be-_ "

            " _Earth?_ " I could slap myself. Were other realities not known in this world? Am I unique?

            " _Yes, Earth._ " My hand flashes up to stop his coming comments. " _I woke up there about twenty years ago. No memory of who I was, the language was strange, the people stranger. It felt like something was missing, a constant ache in my heart, like a hole. I adapted, learned to live like them._ _And then one day, when life couldn't continue there, an orb took me to the beach where I was found and poof! Here I am, in this world. Having to learn all over again how to live, to survive. It's much harder here._ "

            " _How so?_ " He kneels down in front of me and makes a gesture for me to climb on. I rock back on one foot and glare at him.

            " _We don't even know-_ "

            " _We do Emma. Be practical and intelligent. The distance is great, on two feet you will slow me down._ " His voice is testy and two of his six eyes narrow on me while the other two sets swivel in different directions. The effect is slightly nauseating.

            "This is so weird." I sigh as I shake my head. In some aspect, he is correct; he is the person who knows me best in this world, or at least the longest. Other than crazy-I-shoot-people-Andruil. " _Alright!_ " I cry as he nudges me with his massive nose. " _If you want me to ride you I'll ride you._ " An amused chuckle emanates from his throat and I flush as I realize how dirty that was. " _Dinner and a movie first Wolf boy_. _I'm a **lady**._ "

            Yeah, neither of us is convinced of that. As soon as I scramble onto his back he is running. The forest whipping past us at speeds that would rival a car on a freeway. I now understand why he wanted to give me a lift. I could never keep up with this.

            " _How is life here harder?_ " He prompts.

            I shrug, deciding that it won't hurt to tell him. He willingly took me in, a kindness that he needn't have offered to a virtual stranger.

            " _Just everyday life. Take for instance, the way you travel_." I shout because the wind is loud in my ears. When his ears twitch I lean down and wrap a hand in his thick fur and drop my voice. " _In my world we have something called cars that run on gas—refined oil—and are machine operated—like the inside of a clock, gears, nuts, bolts, wiring, belts, all of it works together to make the car operate. You sit inside in a chair and can achieve speeds that make traveling between countries easy. And if the distance is too great we can get in metal containers that fly like birds to cross oceans._ "

            I continue telling him about Earth, how school works, how food is acquired, about electricity and indoor plumbing—which I miss the most—I tell him of jobs, and government structure. Of how the world seemed to rush by but I stood still, a frozen drop in time.

            " _It sounds marvelous._ " There is a tint of envy in his voice. " _You sound like you miss it very much._ "

            " _Strangely no, I didn't belong there. It was something I just knew. I don't think I belong anywhere._ " I shiver and press closer to Wolf boy. The air is growing cooler and night has truly fallen. A mountain can be seen peeking through the trees. " _But not all of it was good. There was a lot of crime, and it was full of hate that was based on the color of skin or sexual preference. There is a dark side to everything, no one place is amazing._ "

            " _There is a truth to your words, though we do not base hate on the appearance, rather the abilities of others._ " His body starts to slow as we enter a clearing. I've never been here before. " _We will stop here for the night_." Wolf boy lowers himself to the ground and I climb down. Instantly wishing that I could move back into him because it is freezing out here. The absence of his fur makes it quite evident that I will need to crop up some sort of shelter.

            Pressing my senses deep into the ground I search for bed rock, clay or anything else that can be easily molded to suit my purposes. Distantly I am aware that the man who is my savior is watching me intently. I pay him no mind, it is nice to have company and I don't want to come off as crazy.

            I haven't interacted with anyone on a social level for a very long time. Honestly I'm proud of the fact that I'm not talking to field mice or something. Eleven years is a very long time for someone to be alone and not go insane from social deprivation.

            As my mind brushes against what I'm searching for I toss my hands into the air, dragging it from the ground to jut into the surrounding area. It isn't much, just a little stone tent however I can press fire into it and it will radiate warmth all night.

            " _Crude, but effective._ " He comments behind me. I jump when I realize he is much closer than anticipated. He laughs at my reaction. Face flaming red I crawl inside my shelter. " _Where did you learn to cast?_ "

            " _Cast? Oh! Magic? On the go._ " I press my palms to the stone and heat flares to live under them. Pulling back when it feels like I've stuck my hand directly into flame I shake it out and pass healing energy over it. " _And you don't have to be such an ass about it._ " I grumble as I bring moss forth for a pillow.

            " _Forgive me little o-_ "

            " _I thought we agreed on me calling you Solas and you calling me Emma._ " I pop my head out and glare at him. Another amused look crosses his face but he doesn't comment on what is so funny.

            " _Forgive me **Emma**._ " And all of a sudden I don't mind him calling me little one! No one should be able to say anyone's name in that manner and it be legal. " _It is easy to forget that you are not from here._ "

            " _Oh, I think I'm from here. Just can't remember it._ " I reply as I move back into the tent and stretch out for some sleep. " _Good night Solas._ " A strange sensation overcomes me. It is a slight easing of sorts, like something doesn't hurt as much anymore.

            I've lived in constant pain for… forever it seems like so that there is a sudden absence of it is…

            " _And keep your magic to yourself!_ " I snarl as I roll over. " _If you think I can't feel it you're wrong!_ " The strange sensation vanishes and there is a low chuckle that does mean things to my insides.

 

" _Emma._ " My name is dragged out. Instantly I am awake and there is a dagger in my hands.

            A body collides with mine and I growl, the sound is utterly feral. Hands grip my arms and I bring both of my feet up, slamming them into any spot that I can reach. Running lightning over my skin I get them to let go. Quickly I wrap myself around them. My black matted hair hangs down as I press the blade into the other-

            Strong hands dig into my shoulders and suddenly I'm thrown across the clearing. Twisting in the air I spin my body to land with feet touching the ground first. Bending over I dig my fingers into the soft dirt to slow my slide. Snapping my head up I glare at the person who dared-

            " _Shit._ " I groan as I slide into a standing position, the knife dropping from my hand. It vanishes before it hits the ground as always. " _Sorry about that. No friendlies around for a very long time._ " He rubs his neck lightly and looks at me with a raised brow. " _I haven't had contact with anyone who wasn't trying to shoot me for the entire duration of my life here Solas, do the math._ "

            " _Ah,_ " he nods in understanding, " _I can't say I didn't enjoy it though._ " A cheeky smile lights up his face and I can't help but laugh. " _From the way you're breathing I'd say you enjoyed it too Emma._ "

            " _Life is fun yeah, so I enjoy a tussle for survival as much as the next woman_." I shoot back. Now that its daylight I can get a better look at him. He's tall, eyes the color of a stormy ocean, a little dimple in his chin. His hair is matted—in a _deliberate_ manner unlike mine—and pulled back into a lazy bun on the top of his head. There is a fang hanging from his ear, and the corresponding jawbone is threaded with leather, resting against his chest. His clothes are finely spun, though simple from what I've seen of others. A loose shirt with a wide collar and tight breeches that cut off at the shins, feet are bare.

            " _See something you like?_ " He asks quietly, a little heat to his eyes. It is my turn to raise my eyebrow.

            " _No, just a very prissy man._ " Entirely untrue. Barking laughter echoes across the clearing. " _Excuse me, morning rituals must be observed._ "

            Turning from him I threw my hands into the air and brought them down with force. My stone tent slid into the ground. A subtle wave removed the moss I slept on. With a slight smile on my face I walk toward the trees. Last night had been very restful. It was probably because I couldn't smell Andruil in this place; none of her fruity scent permeated the area.

            Quickly I move through the 'rituals' and clean up after myself. Finding a stream not far off I briskly scrubbed myself of the dirt I had accumulated in the last couple days. When I finished and returned to the spot Solas was nowhere to be found.

            "Fucking lovely…" I mutter as I cast about for footprints or slightly tussled grass. I should have known it was too good to be true. Save a man and he runs away after offering protection. With a sigh I do something that I absolutely detest doing.

            Drawing deep into myself I find my center, my core. Slowly I pull it forward, gently easing it to the surface of my being. Gathering the little tendrils of my person together I push it from my body. I've only done this a couple times because it feels too much like an out of body experience for my taste.

            In my mind's eye I can see the little tethers of my person soaring out of me. It leaves me dizzy and exposed; allowing me to see in every direction at once. It is my most useful and most hated talent.

            Two squirrels are fighting over nuts three hundred yards east. No threat.

            A herd of twenty deer like creatures are grazing at the south end of the clearing sixty eight yards away. Low threat.

            One cub and a mother are looking for fish in the stream I was just at, though they are further down then I had been. Low threat, unless I venture too close.

            Six pig-rabbit things are huddled together north of me by about twenty yards. No threat.

            One humanoid is entering the clearing from the west, moving quickly. Presence large, threat-

            Hastily I withdraw my senses, feeling lost at only seeing one thing at a time. I gently push myself up off the ground, not remembering when I fell.

            The smell of fresh blood invades my nose. Glancing toward the direction Wolf boy is coming from I see that he has some of those pig-rabbit creatures in his hand. A trail of crimson follows him. He's already gutted and field dressed them.

            " _Are you hungry Emma?_ " Wolf boy asks as soon as he is within easy ear shot. Warily I watch the animals swing back and forth.

            " _I could eat._ " My reply is quiet. He nods and holds out the weird creatures toward me. I call them pibbts. They have weird little front feet that look strangely human and taste suspiciously like chicken. Although a lot of stuff tastes like chicken.

            He stoops down and presses his hand into the dirt. I watch as he closes his eyes. Part of him sinks into the ground before me, it's not visible more like… it distorts the air around it, or in this case it displaces the earth under our feet. He's quiet for a moment before he stands and hold out a handful of white rocks to me. Palm cupped outward toward him, he drops them in my hand.

            " _Here._ " Then he turns around and walks away. I stare at the back of his head for a moment before I lean over and smell the crystals he's given me. Gingerly I work a small portion away from everything else and taste it.

            _Salt…_

            Tears well up in my eyes; I want to rail at myself because how stupid is it that _salt_ of all things can make me cry. The thought to do something like that had never even occurred to-

            " _Please don't tell me you are going to cry._ " He remarks drily at me as he sets down a bundle of sticks and starts to build a fire. When the shit did he come back?

            " _Hey dick bag, you’re a cunt._ " I choke out because the tears have closed my throat. And I feel even more stupid now. " _It was a private moment between me and the seasoning._ "

            He looks at me quietly, before understanding crosses his face. I flush under his look. A stick is held out toward me and I look between the pibbts and the salt before glancing back at him. Wrapping my mind around the stick I take it from him and spear it through the two animals. Salting them with appropriate amounts before sticking them over the fire.

            Pouring the excess salt into a pouch at my waist I sit and wait for the food to be finished. Every once in a while I turn them. My mind wanders, for the first time I don't feel alone and it's strange. Even on Earth when I was around an untold number of people at any point in time I still felt alone.

            Maybe it's because I was really alone in this world? Or it might be present company. He was strangely easy to talk to. Though I felt like a heathen in his well-manicured presence. Wolf boy is so well put together. Even when bitch-face was threatening to tie him to her headboard and have her way with him. He hadn't batted an eyelash, like it wasn't even a concern for him. It was stupid luck for him that the other man—Anaris—showed up and caused some sort of disruption between the three of them.

            I felt like I was unnecessary in that situation, that if I hadn't been there he would have found some other way out. It was just convenient that I had been there. He probably would have chewed through the ropes or-

            " _Why couldn't it continue?_ " He asks as his presence floats toward the fire and the logs move. I look around, wondering what the question is in reference to. " _You said that when life in the other world couldn't continue you left._ "

            " _Oh… yeah that was… there was an accident. I was responsible for a friend almost dying._ " My mind went to the hospital where Little Max had been. I wondered where he was right now and if he was okay. " _I saved him, because of… magic I guess._ "

            " _How was it your fault?_ "

            _Go home little diva._

_Garas vhenas._

            " _He was… I was selfish._ " Anything for one more ride, one more moment of that feeling. I had done as he asked, but I hadn't been ready to face Nana or Koi and their judgmental faces. But that had made matters worse. " _It doesn't matter now._ "

            I hadn't indulged in my obsession in over ten years now. I missed it terribly when I had a moment to stop and think about it. I missed my friends even more. It was like a part of my life had vanished, adding onto the hole in my heart. It didn't matter where I was, here or there, there was always going to be a hole in my heart now.

            Living in two worlds, part of none. It was a harsh reality. I didn't belong anywhere.

            We were silent as we ate the food. Once finished we disposed of the remains.

            " _So, Solas, are you an easy person to live with? Because I swear if you leave food on the floor I'm going to lose it._ "


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who left kudos, they made this writers day! I hope you enjoy chapter 3.
> 
> There are time jumps, pretty large ones, that happen in this story. Usually I will mention how long its been in one aspect or another. Remember, we are currently in pre-veil times, eventually we will work our way through events and end up at trespasser, so... its a long haul and i don't want to get too bogged down in one area, we are spending a fair bit of time in Elvhenan though.

Chapter 3

 

Turns out he was remarkably easy to live with. On the pretenses that I never saw him. Ever. I've been here a year and the house was so damn large that if either of us saw the other coming we could duck down a hallway and hide in a room reading a book or walk in the gardens until the other passed on if we wished. Which hasn't happened yet because it's so _big_.

            And gaudy.

            The windows are a swirl of colors that blend seamlessly into each other, creating a rainbow effect on the room. Or if one wished, they could change the color to anything they desired. Reading with multicolored light wasn't a lot of fun so I mostly went around touching them and turning it to actual glass. One of the servants, Neri, showed me how. It was absolutely amazing here.

            Senna, different servant, had been coming at me with a comb for several months trying to get the matting out, which leads me to right now.

            Sighing I stretch out in the tub. The people here have been marvelous. It is a little difficult having someone pop in frequently to check on me, making sure I have everything necessary. If I'm totally honest it's driving me mad. Senna stepped out of the room moments ago, promising to return with a new cream she had imported that was guaranteed to take out the snarls of my hair with little to no pulling.

            Which was what she said about the last three creams she had tried, and still my hair is a snarled mess.

            I look at the dagger in my hands before bringing it up and slicing through the strands, careful to keep the clumps together so I can dispose of them later. This is the seventh attempt to cut my hair. Senna is always so careful around me so I don't cut it.

            " _My lady no!_ " Senna cries out as she walks back into the room. I smile sheepishly at her before sliding the blade through my hair again.

            " _Senna, it was never going to work and you know it. And it is too late to stop now._ "

            She glares at me with the specifically purchased cream hanging in her hands. " _Lady-_ "

            " _Please, just Emma._ " I smile at her.

            She sighs and continues, " _Emma, your hair was so long and had potential to be beautiful!_ "

            " _Its fine Senna, it grows rather quickly. I've done this countless times since I've been here._ "

            " _But_ -" I cut the last of my hair away and slip under the water to rinse the last of the little bits away. The rest of her words are muffled by the water.

            I was so grateful for the bath, I really enjoyed being able to scrub clean in _hot_ water rather than the cold stream.

            " _At least allow me to fix it._ " She prompts once I come up for air. Another grin is directed toward her. She's standing right next to me. " _Out of the tub with you little one._ "

            Taking the robe in her hand I step out of the water and wrap myself in the fluffy goodness.

            " _Did you not have sisters to show you how to cut your hair?_ " She chides as she looks at the mess that is my head. " _Oh Creators, we'll need to…_ " She lifts a strand of hair, " _This will never do…_ "

            She grows quiet and I hear the _snip, snip_ of scissors. More strands fall and I'm surprised that any of them can possibly be that long. Deft fingers tilt my head back and forth. There is a press of a razor on the sides of my head and mutters of _'too short'_ and _'not even'_ come out of her mouth. She drags a comb through my hair, working the cream into the hair that I have left. I suppress the urge to laugh for fear of cutting myself and receiving further scolding from the strong woman.

            " _It will have to do_." She sighs mournfully, " _Dinner is at the tolling of the eighteenth bell Emma._ " Walking over to the wardrobe she pulls the doors open before leaving. We had a conversation two months ago about me being able to dress myself.

            Feeling clean and actually well-groomed I dress quickly in simple pants and a tunic before leaving the room. My fingers trail across the smooth walls, they look like they've been white washed for several millennia. The furniture in the different rooms looks to be well cared for and there is not a speck of dust anywhere.

            This place had six libraries, each dedicated to different passions or fields of study. Most of them are above my head, talking about the properties of magic and the arcane arts. Studies of theoretical magic that hasn't been accomplished yet. It's like trying to make sense of quantum physics when all you have under your belt is a degree in art history. Not that I had a degree in art history, I had been studying… well actually bouncing around. Dabbling in computer programming, English, and culinary arts.

            " _Neri_?" I question as I step into the kitchen, " _Did you need any help?_ " It is bustling with activity. Men and women alike move around me as if I'm not standing there. I recognize a few faces, but the vast majority are unknown to me.

            " _Lass! How many- Henri if you burn that soup so help me!_ " She barks out as she spins to the young elf in question. " _Stir it properly._ " I laugh at the look on her face when she spins back to me. " _It is not pro-_ "

" _Proper, I know but I want to help._ " I give her a pleading look and she sighs. There is nothing to fill my days except books and wandering the house. There is no struggle for survival here, simply existing and its driving me mad.

            " _Alright lass, Creators know that I could use an extra set of hands._ " She maneuvers me to a free spot before turning me loose, " _If the Master of the House asks-_ "

            " _I was never here. I know._ " It's so strange that they would get in trouble if _I_ helped them. It didn't matter though, I hadn't seen Wolf boy once since I got here. All of them had been skeptical, many of them still were, but I worked in silence and didn't complain. So far only Neri and Senna have taken to me.

            My hands are busy kneading dough, bread seems to be prolific. I've been tweaking the recipes they use slightly when no one is looking. They taste better to me, and no one has commented on it yet so…

            When the dough is finished I set it to the side to rise before picking up a knife and set about doing another million things. When Henri wasn't looking I added a handful of salt to the soup after tasting it. It needed some garlic and roux to thicken it but I am not sure if they had the necessary ingredients here. If I could ever find the kitchens empty I was going to rummage through the different spices slowly tasting everything.

            Time seems to both rush by and stand still here. No one is worried about what tomorrow will bring, assuming that they will wake up. No one here dies of natural causes, there is no old age, and there are no diseases that run rampant. The only thing that kills people here is loss of blood. It is nice, living with people who are content with their lot in life and working to make it better for everyone around them, instead of constantly sloughing off the blame onto someone else.

            The food is plated in a delicate manner and taken out to the dining room.

            For the duration of my stay here there has been a dinner party going on. And it looks like it's been going on for quite some time. Neri has been on edge the entire time. It was strange that the two women took to me quickly. They watch constantly.

            " _Lass, Senna is looking for you._ " Glancing over my shoulder at Neri I nod before wiping my hands on my pants.

            " _Alright Neri. Let me know if there is anything else I can do._ " Her gaze follows me until I step out of the kitchen and the door closes behind me. It's strange but I get the feeling that something is happening that I don't know about. There was no expectation for him to keep me utterly in the loop, hand secrets down to me or anything like that. But I had thought I would be learning something. More about their culture and fighting or some such. So far though I've been pretty domestic.

            It's awkward, being around people who pay attention to me. Always looking and asking questions about where I am. Wolf boy had told me not to let them know where I had come from. I wasn't sure if that meant I needed to keep my world traveling to myself, or if it was the forest. So I played dumb, giving noncommittal answers. Which was hard because I had _no_ knowledge about this place.

            " _Senna?_ " I poke my head into a door and gaze at the room, its empty like the last six had been. Gently closing the door I continue on.

            The woman had always come and found me. So why had-

            My heart spikes, something is watching me. Movement, quiet, but it is there. Slowly I take the next right in the hall, taking the path that leads to the gardens. My body moves fluidly, there is no jerking, no outward display of panic. There can be nothing that tips my hand; they cannot know that I have become aware of them.

The door outside comes into view. Out there at least I can fade into the background. They are not traditional gardens that one would see in the renaissance era, there are no trimmed hedges or water fountains. It's like stepping into nature, animals roam freely. It is over grown and untamed.

            As I walk free of the confines of the house I press everything I am down. If they want to follow me they are going to have to keep eyes on me. And it's about to get very difficult. Gathering my essence I wrap a shroud around me. It isn't perfect yet, but the foliage of the gardens helps me to disappear.

            Scanning the trees, looking for a place to hide. Judging each by thickness and the spacing of the branches. Rough bark under my skin as I start to climb, careful not to tear flesh and leave the scent of blood in the air. Moving from tree to tree without any semblance of order. I cannot stay in the one I started in, footprints lead too easily to that tree. Upon finding one that offers a good vantage point I settle myself in to wait. Silence claims the air; there is no rustling of grass, no chittering of critters in the distance. It is just me, and the person who thought to make me their prey.

            I will survive. 

            Time flows, while my body remains still my eyes are not. They scan the ground, the sky, the trees around me. There is no indication that anything is amiss, but instincts are not wrong. Not when they've kept me alive this long. Being hunted changes a person. Subtle things become apparent; nothing holds the same face value after brushing with death so often. It wasn't just the arrows that almost claimed my life; it was the weather or animals that were hungry. I had come here for protection from one specific person, because I couldn't kill her as I was. More knowledge and skill was required. That had been offered; so far I had not seen it.

            " _You lost her._ " My ears twitch toward the sound. Feminine. " _She can't have just disappeared._ _There is always a trail, a scent to follow._ "

            Who are these people?

            " _There was, and it ended at a tree._ " Male.

            " _So she is in…_ " The woman trails off. They've come into sight, just barely. She is tall, taller than I by a few inches. Her hair is long and white; black eyes. Strange markings on her face that are the color of blood. " _The Lady will not be happy we've lost her._ "

            " _We haven't lost her, she's here, hiding. One of the others said that he has given her protection from Andruil._ " He scoffs; his hair is long as well, blond, tightly braided to the back of his head the end wraps around his neck. He bears the same markings. " _There is movement in the Evanuris we aren't aware of. If she is what the Lady thinks-_ "

            The woman reaches out and slaps a hand over the man's mouth.

            " _Lower your voice._ " The woman hisses as she steps closer to him. Words pass between the two of them but it is too low for me to make out. It is a long moment before they separate from each other, their eyes are on the trees.

            I linger, thinking on what they said. Who is this 'Lady'? The day passes and I start to think that maybe I left this world for a reason.

            The scar on the side of my body, someone wanted me dead. Perhaps now they were coming back to finish the job.

 

Glancing around I slip from the tree. The cover of night has fallen. A question begs at the back of my mind. The sounds of the nature have broken the silence long enough that I feel safe stealing back into the house.

            Protection my ass. Either Dread Wolf was playing me or something larger was going on here.

            " _Emma?_ " Senna calls out from somewhere behind me. Hesitation causes me to halt for a moment before I shake it off and continue down the hall. " _Where have you been, Neri and I have been searchi-_ "

            " _Where is he?_ "

            " _Emma what happene-_ "

            " _Senna, where is Dread Wolf?_ " I halt and look at her. Caution is written on her face and she is approaching like I'm a wild animal.

            " _Talk to me-_ "

            " _No._ "

            No one can be trusted at the moment. Senna does not bear the marks I saw, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Magic here seems to have no limit but the imagination. If she wanted to hide them she might well be able to.

            Turning I start back down the hallway, throwing open every door I come across. People are startled, they issues gasps and run to the door to see what is happening. Senna trails after me, keeping up a tirade of words in effort to get me to talk to her. I will not. Not until I have answers.

            As I said before, this place is massive. I don't even know if he is home, or out wandering the world. He offered protection, but didn't specify what that meant. For all I know he could just intend on leaving me here until the ages past and I am but a figment of a memory. But that is a problem, because this world seems to be remembering me and I can't remember anything.

            " _Solas!_ " I scream as I start to run through the halls. Neri spots me and calls out to me. I twist down another hallway, away from the women I'm now sure have been set on me to watch what I do. Thinking back over the last few months I can't remember a moment that one or the other isn't in my presence when I'm out of my room. " _Wolf boy!_ "

            Another door is kicked open, bouncing off the wall and closing. He wasn't in there so it doesn't matter. Quickly I cover every space of the castle.

            "Damn it. He isn't here."

            Both women are watching me warily; brushing past them I start for the stairs that will take me to my room. My bare feet are slapping the ground now. It isn't safe here. Hide, I need to hide.

            " _Emma, lass-_ " Neri reaches out and grabs my arm as I slow to take a turn. " _Wh-_ " I try to rip my arm away from her but her grip is like iron. She pulls me roughly to her. " _That is enough. The Master was kind enough to take you in._ " A glare passes between the two of us. " _Now what happened to the girl who was making bread in my kitchen this morn?_ "

            " _She disappeared when people with red tattoos tried to take her away._ " I snarl before running electricity over my arm. She gasps and lets me go. " _Touch me again, and I'll end you._ "

            " _You will do no such-_ "

            " _You don't know me Neri, I've put on a civil face but I'm a survivor first._ " I spin back and start toward my stairs. Pain, sharp and biting races through my neck. The feeling of a foreign substance pulses through my veins. A hand comes up to press against my throat. It takes me a moment to realize that it is my hand.

            The world spins, lines blurring. More hands grab me, more than the two that I possess. Someone else is-

            " _I was hoping it wouldn't come to this._ " The words are drawn out, deeper. A face swims before my vision, black pulling at the edges.

            " _Wh-… what d-did you do?_ " I know I'm speaking the words, can feel my throat vibrate with each syllable that passes my lips but it doesn't sound like my voice. " _Di-did you rufie me?_ " I gasp as my limbs go cold. Attempts to clear my vision are useless, the darkness wells up. " _You bitch._ "

 

Consciousness floats just out of reach. It wobbles back and forth, tantalizing me with snippets of conversations that don't make sense. My eyes open at one point. Someone noticed and I was sent under again.

            It is strange, this feeling. Dreams here have a certain quality to them, none that I've paid attention to before. In truth, there have been few dreams for me while I've walked this land. Almost not enough time for them. Sleep hadn't come often, and when it did it was precious. I would drop like a stone and sleep for hours, or days, it was difficult to tell.

            This though, this is forced. So I'm not surprised when I'm running from raptors one second and talking to a green woman the next.

            "You're here." The woman speaks, almost as if it is a surprise. "I had thought to never look upon your face again."

            "Look, I don't know who you are, or where I am." My hand comes up to run through my hair, surprise floats through me when I touch the shaved portions. Fingers trailing farther up; I feel that the hair on the top of my head is about four inches long and flops over to one side. Dragging my nails across my scalp I sweep it back. "It's been real lady, real _what_ I can't say…"

            Turning I walk across the plain that wasn't here a moment ago. Butterflies float on the breeze, stunning purples and blues. Each of them swirls around each other, creating patters that make no sense in the air.

            "He watches you. He doesn't know who you are either. But I know." That causes me to stop in my tracks.

            "Oh yeah? And who, exactly, am I?"

            "Your name was Marel, during what you call 'the before'." She tilts her head and walks toward me, her short hair bobbing around her chin as she stops. "Why did you forget? They were hoping you would remember when you came back to them. But you were gone for so long…" She turns to look out over the tall grass, "They think you are dead Marel, even he. He cannot see her in you. So gentle you were, but _she_ changed you. Made you into what you are now. It will be their undoing."

            "Oookay…" My head snaps back a little as I turn to see what she is looking at. Strange woman with strange words. "How do you know all of this?"

            "They often come to spirits such as I with problems they cannot see a solution to."

            "And what problem did they come to the spirits for."

            "When you… no when Marel, because you are her and not, came under threat they wanted a creative way to deal with it. However the spirit was older than they, it saw what you were meant to do, and knew you could not accomplish it as you were. Events were manipulated to suit your needs, casting you from this world into another where you would not be pampered at all hours of the day. Where you would have to work for what you wanted." The woman/spirit gives me a meaningful look. "When the time had come, the spirit sent itself to you, dragging you back across the folds of the world."

            "And what exactly was I meant to do?"

            "Free the Elvhen from the blood writing that mars their souls."

            "Blood writing is… bad I take it?"

            "You have forgotten much in your travels. The writing binds their essence to the Evanuris and to the masters. Once you sought a peaceful resolution, but they will not give up the power so easily she who is not Marel."

            "Slavery. You're talking about slavery. How am I supposed to bring about the end-" I stop myself, "It doesn't matter. Everyone deserves to be free."

            "Yes, freedom is important. But Dread Wolf, he cannot know who you are. He takes his commitments seriously, and if he learns you are Marel before you come into your own, he will stop you."

            I look at the spirit intently, waiting for more. "Why would he stop me if he found out I was Marel?"

            "You are not yet ready for that truth Emma, and you are _not_ Marel. You were but you are now more. Being in the other world changed you, not only in spirit but in body as well," the spirit glides closer, her feet inches above the ground. "One day, all will make sense. For now, you must leave. I can wake you, pull the drug from your blood, but you must escape on your own. Go to the south, where the mountains climb high into the skies and are capped with snow. There you will find the means to grow, there you will find a friend who is as fierce as you will have to become."

            "Wait-" I lean away from her raising hand. A look of perpetual peace crosses her face. "I need-"

            "There is no time Emma, _ir abelas_ , little one." Her fingers touch the spot between my brows and she hisses, " _Wake up_."     

 

Consciousness slams into me. My heart is pounding. I have no idea what the fuck just happened but I am determined to roll with it. That spirit, or whatever she was, gave me the out I was looking for. Blindly I trusted Wolf boy and it seems now to have been the wrong choice. I was not safe here. From the way things sound I needed to make _myself_ safe. It wasn't something that could be expected from others. Sure I could look to a person for the rest of my life, or I could do it myself.

            According to the spirit I had some growing to do, and by all that could be considered holy I was going to do just that.

            Without rolling over or drawing attention to myself I press out my awareness, just the barest of trickles so I see only the room and not everything in the castle.

            Neri is standing next to the window, gazing out of it. She is full of sadness; at what I don't really care. Her position is perfect for me, and it's time for a little revenge.

            Before she can move I am upon her, blinking from one spot to another. Quickly I wrap my body around hers, locking her arms to her side with my legs. One arm goes around her neck; the other covers the scream that wants to escape from her throat.

            " _Did you think I could allow that Neri? Just let you fucking drug me? I don't know who you all think I am but I told you… I'm a **survivor**._ " She struggles under me, throwing us backward causing my body to collide with the corner of the wardrobe. I gasp in pain but tighten my hold on the slippery elf. Magic surges in the air and I know that it is going to call others. " _Be glad that you will wake, I'm feeling benevolent. I seem to recall saying that I would end you if you touched me again. Do **not** make the same mistake twice._ "

            It continues on for a moment more before her legs give out and she slumps over. Quietly I release my grasp and toss her from me. Standing I gather items around the room, clothing, a brush, the cream for my hair, soap. All of it goes into a bag. Across the mirror I scribble 'thanks, but no thanks' with the equivalent of lipstick.

            A quick longing glance is thrown at the tub before I go out the window and steal into the night. 


	4. Chapter Four

I trek south, no destination in mind. The journey is long. My days fill themselves with creeping slowly forward from one tree to another. Andruil is nowhere to be found, nor scented. With each passing week I feel safer, though I fear it is a delusion.

            Villages come into view and I skirt around them with little notice, unwilling to associate with others so quickly after trusting him. That had been a failed venture. I do not know who this friend I am look for is, but something tells me they aren't going to be found surrounded by others of our kind. All of the ones that I pass are in the forest, not in mountains.

            The spirit had said the friend was as fierce as I was going to be. It was nice knowing that I was going to be more fierce then I was now. Snorting at myself I think, _I'm pretty biased though…_

            Eventually I stop counting the days and just indulge in everyday life. When I come across a stream I bathe, thinking outside the box I divert a small section of the water flow and heat it with fire. Food tastes better after Wolf boy showed me the little trick of gathering salt from the ground. When I have a sweet tooth I hunt for berries that grow along the river banks. I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired. Each day I take the time to comb my hair, determined not to let it matt again. Slowly it grows out, my only way of telling the passage of time.

            I experiment with magic, expanding on the range that I can blink until I can cover more distance than ever before; the miles are eaten this way. Practice is put into expanding my awareness until my senses are constantly flying free of my body; they alert me if anyone strays close though I haven't seen another soul in what feels like forever. It is tiring at first, and I sleep more. Often I fall asleep at dawn and wake when the sun is setting.

            The days blur together this way, and it is wonderful. Freeing in a sense, there is no expectations of me while I take this time to evolve into what I am supposed to be. On the quiet days, when I lounge in the water thinking on my old life, my heart tugs at the thought of Little Max and Lui. Ahh… Lui who tasted of pineapple and the ocean. In the end it had been those two men who saved me from myself.

            Each time I rise I start to go through stretches, making sure to keep my body in shape. When I first arrived, I had been soft; over the decade I spent in that forest running I had lost all meat on my bones until I was little more than a skeleton. Now, I eat more, getting back a healthy glow to my skin.

            The spirit said that I had changed, not only in essence but in body as well. The elven women I've come across are all skinny, though they are extremely beautiful. At first I could not find a difference but now that I know to look for them I can. I am more robust, thicker in the hips and breasts than any other I've seen. It doesn't bother me; it's all I've known. Though now I realize that this will draw attention from others, because if the spirit saw it, then they will too.

            Soon my soap disappears and I pilfer more from a town; sneaking into a shop in the dead of night. My vanishing technique has long since been perfected and no one sees me unless I wish.

            Silently I wander into town, unafraid for the first time ever. A flick of the wrist opens the door and it creaks open; gently bumping into the wall. I admit, I am uncomfortable with stealing, but it will only be a few bars; nothing that the owner cannot afford to lose. I lift each one to my nose, content when I find one that smells spicy and yet sweet at the same time. With a smile I tuck three into my pack before leaving the gold ore I found on my travels on the counter. It can't be stealing if I'm leaving something I consider valuable behind.

            Turning around I see that the noise from the door has drawn attention from upstairs. An elven male descends in silence a glowing orb floating over his hand as he sweeps the shop. Tugging closer on my being I blink outside and am gone before he can even notice what I've left behind.

            On truly quiet days, when my mind threatens to pull me under I sing to myself. The notes rising pure into the trees around me. A kind of peace has slowly stole into my soul and I feel more alive than I ever have.

            Eventually the mountains the spirit told me of come into sight. Unable to contain my joy at what lays before me I climb into the trees and blink from tree top to tree top quickly closing the distance between myself and my destination. My body doesn't balk at the extreme conditions it now faces. As if my magic has a mind of its own it rises up to keep me warm. Unerringly my hands find crevices as they propel me up cliff faces and through caves.

            I spend three nights camped on the face of the mountain, not sure where to go from here. My stone tent climbs into the air and heat is funneled into the walls. I venture out to look for this friend of mine. Rapidly I start to lose hope that I will ever find whoever I'm looking for. Regardless I move forward, leaving my shelter behind as I venture deeper into the mountain.

 

Sighing I look up from the nug—Senna corrected me, they are not pibbts—that I've killed. Blood coats the back of my hand as I look around, I don't know how long I've been out here. My hands make quick work of field dressing the small animal. Heating it up until it is the proper temperature I dig into the meal.

            Scrubbing my hands in the snow afterwards I stand and shift my clothing tighter around me. My body may be rising to the task, but the wind cuts through the heat as quickly as I can kick it out. Shivering slightly I start to trudge through the knee high snow.

            Looking above me, toward the sky, I see a storm gathering around the peaks. I need to find shelter for the night. It's going to be a bad one.

            Laughing to myself quietly I rub the crystals off my eye lashes as I move toward a cliff face. Spotting a cave I duck into it, sighing in relief when the wind is cut off and my temperature soars. I drop my bag in a corner and slide down the wall.

            How in the hell am I supposed to free slaves? I have no precedence for this. I don't even know where to start. Gently smacking my head into the wall I shift it back and forth, causing the room to whip before my eyes several times. Maybe once I find my friend I can go back to the spirit that gave me all this information in the first place.

            Scooting down I stretch out and place my head on my back, grumbling I rearrange the things until I'm propped up on the clothes. My palm presses to the floor and I press heat into the ground, hoping that it will last the night.

 

A roar causes me to bolt upright, brain still foggy from sleep. Something slams into me with such force that I am thrown bodily across the room. A scream ripples from my throat as I collide with the stone wall, the crunch of bones loud in my ears.

            As soon as my feet touch the ground I roll sideways, already sending healing magic through my system. The haze clears and I come face to face with the biggest bitch I've ever seen in my life.

            "Holy fucking shit!" I dodge a swipe of massive claws. Another roar splits the air. Man oh man did I stumble into the lair of the beast. "You are _beautiful_!"

            And she was. Swirls of silver and purple dance over her scales. I've only seen some from a distance. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see one so close.

            "Oh baby, we need to talk about the friction I feel between us!" I jab as I dodge around her raised tail. Throwing myself at the base of it I scramble up her back. "How 'bout a name? I was born for you honey. I can _feel_ it!"

            Her massive jaws fly through the distance between us. Running up her back I flip off one of the spikes that dot her spine. "Don't be that way darling!" I call out as I land, hands planted firmly to run electricity through her. A keening noise raises into the air, I howl along with her.

            She doesn't seem to agree with me one bit. Her wings expand and she pumps them several times causing stray air currents to lift sections of my clothes and whipping my hair around my face.

            "It doesn't have to be this way!" I insist as I am knocked from her back. Quickly I roll under her. Time loses all semblance as I embrace her fury. Determined to ride out this. I invaded her home, but this beast was beautiful and I was _not_ going to cause her damage. I will endure.

            Rolling free from her I slide past her swiping back claws, once more climbing up her scales onto her back. "Don't _tease_ me." I call out as she snaps her jaws at me once more. A chunk of clothing rips off as I jump over and weave through the spikes up to her neck. Slamming in between the spike jutting just behind the rise of her throat I wrap my arms and hold on tight. "Baby calm down, it's okay."

            A guttural growl pierces the air and she lunges forward from the cave, wings beating roughly to climb into the air. A scream of my own flows forth, I'm not entirely sure if it's from terror or elation.

            I'm riding a god damned dragon. The air around me quickly reaches below freezing but still I cling to her. The sun rises and sets, the storm breaks and we fly into the eye. She barrel rolls in attempt to knock me free, but I jam my legs tight against her spikes. My muscles begin to spasm with fatigue.

            My heart breaks when she lets lose a mournful noise. "Oh baby, I won't hurt you." Desperation claws at me. Please don't tell me she thinks I'm trying to break her. I would never… that isn't what I want.

            Dragging my being forth I press it into her and let her feel my emotions. Let her see me for what I am, what I want. How beautiful I think she is, how her scales glitter in the sunlight and bounces into the snow to create a stunning effect of silver and purple.

            _You are dazzling darling_. I speak into her. _I am humbled by your presence. Please, be calm. I mean you no harm._

            She gives one more roll in attempt to shake me before succumbing to something that is unknown to me. Quickly she drops out of the sky. We are coming in to fast, the angle is wrong.

            "NO!" The word comes unbidden, but it is true. If we hit like this one or both of us is going to perish. Twisting my hands through the air I adjust and thicken it around us, throwing a wall of pure energy under her to soften the blow. The snow that covers the mountain scape reaches up to take us in its soft embrace.

            There is a scream that doesn't originate from me. Rolling from her I run quick fingers across her scales. "What have I done?" I cry as I press magic into her. It seems to roll off of her. She lifts her head in my direction and blinks one eye at me. I gaze into her black orb and weep. "I'm sorry… this isn't what… I never meant to… I'm sorry darling."

            Slowly she reaches out her muzzle and breaths over my face. I feel her magic enter me and I sob anew at the purity of it. Such raw power, it is enough to drop me to hands and knees.

            **I never thought to find one such as you.**

            My head snaps up and I gaze at her, a light feminine voice enters my mind.

            "Are you… did you just talk to me?"

            **So surprised, an elf of all things.** I tilt my head at her and laugh. **Your kind hunts mine, yet you did not go for the killing blow when you could have.**

            "How could I kill such a marvelous creature? No, better that I die in your stead." She preens under my words, lifting her snout to breath ice into the air.

            **Yes, you are a good choice.**

            "I-what? What does that mean?" She laughs at me now, her nose coming out to nudge my face.

            **For better or worse elf you are mine, and I am yours. Something inside you speaks to me. We are as one from this moment forth.**

            "We… one?"

            Her wing comes out to pull me to her side. For a frost dragon she is surprisingly warm.

            **Yes, one. Our souls have chosen each other. As long as you allow it, I will be by your side. Your essence will fuel me and mine will fuel yours. As long as one lives the other cannot die.**

            "Then we shall live forever for I do not age."

            **Forever is a very long time.**

            "Yet I feel things will be quite interesting with a dragon at my side." I stretch out my arms against her soft underbelly. She croons when I hit a sweet spot. My fingers quickly take advantage of this and I soon have her rolled over on her back purring under the attention.

            **You need a name.**

            "I have one. Its Emma."

            **Do you know the meaning of your name?**

            "Nana—the woman who gave it to me—said that it meant whole, or universal." Her wings come around me and bounce me against her chest several times. I laugh at the sensation, the reaction causes her to stretch out her snout again and nudge the side of my face.

            **Strange, but no. Your name means 'mine' in the Elvhen language.**

            I snap upright, causing the soft membrane of her wing to wrap around my head and shoulders. A bunch of shit starts to make sense. I cringe internally; I had been walking around asking everyone to call me theirs. Oh god that was so embarrassing.

            "That simply won't do." A rumbling laughter causes my whole body to vibrate. "Well… you can call me Emma because I _am_ yours technically, but I cannot go by that name." My legs tighten around her stomach as her wings extend and she wiggles a little, the sensation of pleasure—in the pleased sort not sexual—emanates from something inside me. She is pleased with my confession. "I have a different name… it came from… I can't remember much about my past but I was recently told that my name in the before was Marel."

            **That suits you more. It means rebellious one.** I tilt my head again at that, a strange sensation winds through me. She's right, it is fitting; considering what I intend on doing.

            "And what am I to call you?" My body presses against hers.

            **Lyko**.

            "It's beautiful, just like you are." Gently I slide from her scales. "Were you injured in the fall?"

            One of her magnificent orbs pierces me, **Dragons are hardier then we look**. The thought was terrifying because Lyko looked like she could take on an army single handily.

            "But there was a cracking… and you were in pain." I attempt to justify.

            **A tree broke, it was not pleasant**. I chuckle and stand back. My limbs are still shaking and she takes notice. **I am pleased to see that you have tired yourself.** I raise an eyebrow at her and purse my lips.

            "I'm glad you're glad." My tone is dry and she laughs at me before rolling over.

            **Come,** she extends a wing to me, **I shall carry us home. We will sleep and regain strength.**

            Nimbly I climb the tip of her wing until I can settle into the spot behind her neck and in front of her spike. She pumps her wings several times; they are strong enough to lift the two of us.

            We flew for the better part of a day to reach the cave. I knew several days had passed since our fight began but I had not realized we had moved so far north. As we pass we talk to each other, telling stories of our youth.

            She was a young dragon, as far as that goes. Lyko is just over two hundred years old. She was part of a clutch that numbered well into the double digits. She wasn't sure of the exact number. All her life she had hidden away from the world because her mother told them all of the dangers that lurked outside the mountains where they lived.

            Lyko had three sisters that made it into maturity. She had even born her own clutch and had recently left them behind to grow on their own. My dragon had only been in this area for about two years. I was very lucky to have come across her when I did.

            "Your life sounds amazing."

            **It is good to be a dragon.**  She agrees as she banks left, **What of you Emma? What of your life?**

            "Well, that's where things get a little complicated Lyko. I'm hoping to find answers. I told you that I can't remember anything. My first memory is of pain, and blood pooling out of my body. I was in a different reality; Nana found me and saved my life. She took me in and gave me a home. But I couldn't be what she wanted."

            **She loved you?**

            "Not in that manner, but yes. We were as sisters for a long time. She taught me the language and gave me my first surf board. I fell in love with the ocean and would do anything for another ride. Over the years we gained friends. Koi, Gabby, Josh, Little Max, and Lui were the closest to the two of us. We would drink under the moonlight, dance under the starts. By day we worked different jobs for money and by nights we would go to the beach where I was found to play in the water. The day that I left, Little Max, my protector, my pillow, oh frequent sharer of popcorn on movie nights, was in an accident. His jeep rolled on his way to check on me. I had just remembered something about my past, about my mother and friend. I wanted to think on it, see if I could find anything else out. I-I thought I was going to lose him," I wipe away a tear, the image of him in that hospital bed hooked up to a monitor and tubes in his throat. "He almost died, but something awoke in me and I was able to heal him. I told him everything before I crashed through a window and ran. In that world magic does not exist. The doctors tried to subdue me, horrible scenarios went through my mind, of being tested upon in a lab because I could do things they couldn't."

            **I am sorry you lost your home**.

            "I'm not, I didn't belong there." She rolls once more and my stomach did a little flip as she straightened out. "I belong here, I know that now. And I have something that I want to accomplish, but I don't think I can do it alone."

            **You are not alone anymore.** Her head turns to look at me and I laugh in agreement.

            "Yes, but do you want to free other elves from slavery?" The one black orb I can see blinks at me before she straightens out and ducks into the cave we started in.

            **Emma, what is slavery?**

            I suck in a breath, contemplating where to start. "Well Lyko it… it is when a person is robbed of everything they are, their potential, their thoughts, their desires. They belong body and mind to another person. It is an utter violation of their person, an absolute evil. They are not free, they are bound to another. People in this situation aren't seen as people, they are property." I slide of her neck and walk around the cave toward my belongings, pulling out the brush before attacking my hair. When I look back at her she is curled around herself, her snout resting on the floor. "It is wrong; no one should have that kind of control over another. During my time here I felt something akin to that. Someone here tried to take my life over and over. Treating me as if I was little more than a bug under her shoe. I only experienced it for ten years." My feet carry me back to my dragon and I settle on the floor before her. "These people have no hope, no out. They live eternal lives, that is all they know, all they will have, unless someone acts."

            As I was speaking Lyko began to growl lowly under her breath until it rumbled through the cave with its ferocity. **We will fix this wrong,** she assures me before she closes her eye and falls into a deep slumber.

            I watch for a moment longer before stretching out and falling asleep next to Lyko.

 

"Again!" I whoop as Lyko rolls first left, then right. I stand on her back, feet planted wide and a chain held in my hands. We've been together for six years and we long ago learned to move in sync with each other.

            **Are you ready?** She laughs as she dives toward the ground.

            When she gets close enough I release the chain and vault from her back, blades appearing in my hands as the ground rushes up to meet me. Spinning my whole body I slice cleanly through the training dummy before rolling through the snow. Turning the roll to my advantage I gain my feet, allowing the swords to fall from my hands.

            Arrows fire randomly around me. I close my eyes and listen to the whistle they make when they slice through the air. A smile crosses my face as I twist back and forth to avoid them, blinking ever close to my destination.

            Above me Lyko roars and ice rains down. A palm in the air creates a bubble around me stopping the tiny spear like shards from piercing skin. Turning I plant a foot on a tree and push off, grabbing a branch before swinging into the air. My dragon is there to catch me, her claw wrapping around my torso.

            **You can do better.** She chides as she turns her body and flings me back to the ground. Lifting my hands I give her a middle finger salute and brace for impact. Her laughter rings through the air around me, filling me with joy.

            A scream is called forth as I wrap a hand around a branch to stop my fall. Pain envelops me as my shoulder is pulled from the socket. Tumbling to the ground I use the momentum to slam it back into place before flipping my hair out of my eyes.

            "Not nice Lyko!" I call out as I dodge another of her antics. She's found a tree somewhere and has decided that it would look best on me. "Hey! I told you we'd get you that druffalo! No need to take it out on me here." I grumble the last bit before running toward the center and back toward my destination.

            At the center of this area is fruit. Not just any fruit. Raspberries. I didn't even know they had them in this land. Lyko uses them as a motivator for me. I _love_ raspberries. However to get to them I have to weave my way through obstacles without magic. Now… I've become a bit spoilt when it comes to magic, I use it for everything. Miss dragon up there has decided that this is a weakness of mine.

            _"I like my magic Lyko, I'm good at it!" I insist stubbornly as my pack floats behind me._

_**And what will become of you if someone is better. My life is tied to yours now Emma. I will not allow for such a glaring hole in your defenses.**_

_My pack is smacked to the ground with her tail and she glares at me in the only way dragons can._

_**You**_ **will** **_learn how to fight without magic_**.

            So… that means no blinking, no invisibility, no conjured weapons, no _nothing_. If I can't get through this on my own, that means no raspberries. Ever again. So when she said I could do better she's giving me another chance to get the delicious berries in the center of the obstacle course.

            "Stupid dragon." I mumble as I start forward.

            A spirit of battle comes from my left. I recognize this one; he's tough as nails and won't go easy on me, even if he is my friend. There is a hulking axe resting against his shoulder. With a cocky smile his other hand comes up and he swings at me with all his might. For a moment I worry that he's actually trying to kill me, but then my body kicks into gear, tilting back away from the blow I slide under. Twisting as I come out of the slide I slam a fist into the spirit's knee. He goes down for a moment. Not hesitating for one second, because I know he is going to get up with a freaking vengeance, I complete the rotation motion and gain my feet.

            A tingling between my shoulders tells me that Battle is quickly gaining. The spirit is ancient and will not be toyed with. I have no doubt in my mind there is nothing I can do to hurt the spirit, other than warp its purpose. Every time he and I have met its nothing but full on raging war, and because he is the epitome of battle I have no choice but to fight with him until I can ditch him.

            "Rude!" I scream at Lyko who is doing lazy circles in the sky. "Just plain rude! How could you call Battle here? You trying to get me killed?" My torso curls in on itself as a dagger flies through the air, hair whipping out behind me. I feel a slight graze up my spine and know that this is the first of many cuts I will receive.

            **Battle is better suited than any other to whip you into shape. Complacent, and plump. That's what you are.**

            "Excuse me?! Did you just call me _fat_?" Battle has reached me, a hand fists in my hair. My foot snaps out to connect with his hip; rotating my own I turn to maneuver his arm over my shoulder. Pivoting my body I throw him from me, losing a fair amount of hair in the process. "Do you even care about my self-esteem?"

            A barking laugh echoes from above and I glare daggers at her glistening scales. Another sweep of that battle axe has me tucking and rolling again. An obsidian dagger sweeps into my hand, and flick of the wrist sends it sailing toward the spirit. It grunts as the blade makes contact. I really need to pilfer some _actual_ daggers instead of spending days making those. That, however, requires contact with others of my kind.

            The roar of Battle pulls me back to the moment. He swings its axe again; ducking under it I move into the space of his arms and slam my fist into the underside of his jaw. His head snaps back and eyes roll into the back of him head. Smiling as it went down I pick up the battle axe, throwing it a distance. Battle won't stay down long, this way he'll have to retrieve its weapon before he can come at me. Hopefully I'll have my raspberries and be gone by then; proving that I am capable of fighting without magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! We met Lyko! Beautiful girl, she's quirky, or I think she's quirky. *cough*biased*cough*
> 
> Next update will probably be this weekend!


	5. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, chapter 5. I will probably update again within the next couple days. I still haven't figured out an exact posting schedule but we are eating through my reserves so it might start taking a little while between chapters. 
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> OH! And I want to give a big THANK YOU to those who have left kudos and bookmarked. I originally posted this story for me, because I like to write, but it is a huge encouragement to keep writing and updating the story. So... thank you (again).

Chapter 5

 

"I'm not saying that I'm ready Lyko, I'm saying that I'm tired of being cooped up!" I spin to her and level a glare at her. "While I stay here people are suffering. The world is moving on, each passing day is another one that the people are living horrid lives."

            **Patience Emma. You have been in this world barely six and twenty winters. The ones you seek to pit yourself against have had thousands to perfect and hone what they are.**

            "Don't you think I know that?" I snap as I turn, pulling the edge of my cloak over myself. "How long will I hide away? The 'Lady' those people spoke of will find me sooner or later. The elves have immortality on their side. They can choose to forget about me for a while, but what happens when I am stuck here with no out? At least if I was out there, doing something, I might find people who see the way I do."

            **There is no guarantee that any see as you do.** Her tail thumps on the ground twice, a sign of displeasure. **Many, if not all, are content with the way of the world.**

            "There has to be someone. I've had contact with what—four people in this world? It isn't enough to go on!"

            **And where will the freed elves go once you have broken their bonds? Slavery will not end because you attack a few homes and let them loose upon the world. You need a plan Emma. One that we do not have.**

            "Only because you refuse to allow me to interact with others! How am I supposed to find a place for them if I do not leave this mountain?" I push at her snout which has whipped around to allow her to glare at me. "This Marel person I was, she was _someone_ I just know it. If I go out there-"

            **You will die. Words spoken by your own mouth. Emma think, the scar is there for a reason.**

            "Regardless!" I bark angrily.

            **Who would you approach?**

"I don't know!"

            **That is the problem Emma.**

            "Fine! I'll go to a dinner party or something. Dance and while away the hours. Give subtle hints as to what I-" My words break off as something outside the cave shifts. Lyko slowly gains her feet, growling quietly at the intruder. Wrapping myself in a shroud I walk forward, summoning a blade from the ether around me.

            A figure presses against the edge of the cave, their body crouched. Their face is hidden under a hood. Wrapping my essence around them I lift their form and throw them into the light of the cave. They scream as they collide with the ground and slide for several feet.

            Lyko snarls and paces back and forth, tail lashing out causing chunks of the ceiling to fall.

            "Enough." I speak, and my dragon calms. Stalking forward I rip the cloth away from their head, the tip of my blade under their chin. "I should have known." Giving my own snarl I drop them and walk away.

            **You know this woman?**

            "I do," my voice is full of distain. "I thought I told you not to make the same mistake twice." Her brown eyes look up at me with determination. I smack myself in the face as I realize I'm not speaking her language. " _Welcome to the layer of the beast._ " Her lip curls at me. " _You'd better have a damned good reason, considering how things were left._ "

            " _Dread Wolf sends his regards, lass._ "

            " _Are you here to kill me?_ " Lyko snarls at the words and presses her head between me and the elf on the floor.

            " _He offered you protection._ " She counters with hate in her voice. " _Even after you left with disrespectful words scrawled on the mirror he would still offer his protection._ " The lift of her chin tells me that she is proud of Wolf boy, " _That is why he sent me looking for you_."

            " _He should have sent Senna. She, at least, would return home alive._ " Lyko chuckles at my words. Though it causes Neri to shiver. Yes, I imagine that to one not accustomed to the sound it does not seem like amusement. " _You got one warning Neri._ "

            I nod at Lyko. She understands, her head rearing back to strike the woman from this world.

" _Dread Wolf's goals are the same as yours._ " Neri blurts out with her hand raised in defense. Holding out my own I still Lyko with a look.

            " _Oh? And what would my goals be?_ " The woman licks her lips as she looks back and forth between the two of us. " _Speak quickly, I haven't got all day._ " Technically I did, but she didn't need to know that.

            " _The end of slavery._ "

            Alright… she has my attention.

            **Tread carefully Emma; she might be speaking to save her own skin.**

            "Yes, it seems that way doesn't it? Very convenient isn't it." Neri is still looking between the two of us with fear in her eyes. " _Why should I take you at your words? The last time we met you drugged me._ "

            " _Only to keep you safe, I swear it lass. Daern'thal had spies in the household. When word spread of your arrival she acted. They weren't supposed to find you._ "

            " _And who is Daern'thal?_ _What is her interest in me?_ "

            The elf presses her lips together and shakes her head. Lyko does not like this response. A roar is let loose from her might throat and she lunges at Neri. The woman screams and lifts her hands.

            " _Andruil spread word of a strange elf in her forests, when Daern'thal tried to take you counter spies were sent into her household to find out why they wanted you!_ " She curls in on herself before continuing. " _You mentioned the name Marel, which hasn't been spoken in three thousand years. We had thought they were delusional, but you know the name. More guards then just Senna and I would have been placed on you if we knew._ "

            " _Continue._ " I lean into Lyko, tilting my head back and closing my eyes.

            " _It is not my place Lady, Dread Wolf would kill-_ "

            " _Dread Wolf is not here Neri. I would worry more about the dragon then him._ " Lyko curls her head around me, pressing me back into her front leg before whipping her head around again. Ice roars from her throat, narrowly missing the elf on the ground.

            **While I do not mind taking her life Emma, is it something you can live with? You once told me that someone viewed you as a bug, that she saw it as her right to take your life.**

            "This is different Lyko! She drugged me and-"

            **Yet she did not hurt you, her words speak as if the actions were meant to preserve your life. Actions born of orders that were passed down from another. Can you truly live with taking her life if they were not her own, but another's?**

            "God you are so-so… UGH! Fine! Knock her ass out we are taking her with us!" I throw a hand up in disgust. Dragon speaks sense; it is not my place to take her life. I have no divine right to do such a thing. "I _will_ have to kill eventually you know."

            **Yes, and when that time comes it will be for survival _not_ spurned pride. And knock her out yourself; I am not your lackey Emma.**

            With barely restrained rage I walk over to the woman, fisting a hand in her cloak and rip her face so our noses are almost touching.

            " _Good thing for you my dragon is ruled by logic, not pride._ " I snarl before clocking her across the face twice. "We leave now." A lazy flick of my wrist and ropes bind Neri's limbs together.

            **Where are we going?**

            "To take Neri home."

 

I take great pleasure knocking Neri out every chance I get. We travel by air and twice I've almost pushed the woman off the back of Lyko. Each time it is a struggle to remember that I am not a monster, and ending her life while she is unarmed and unable to defend herself would make me just that. I would be no better than Andruil. Lucky for me, my dragon knew myself better than I did. In the heat of the moment I wouldn't have regretted it, but after it would have torn me apart.

            "A little more to the left Lyko."

            **Is this place familiar to you?**

            "No." I sigh and look around. We've been circling for days. I know that Wolf boy's home is more or less north but we can't seem to find it. "I've never seen this area from above."

            **Perhaps you should let the other wake long enough to ask.** This is the third time Lyko has suggested it. I know she is right but I really can't stand the woman.

            Lyko is tiring, I can feel it. She needs to land soon, needs to eat. And so do us elves. I grumble under my breath. Walking to the edge of Lyko's back I prepare to step off.

            "I'm making a place to land," I call out as I turn and fall through the air. Lyko calls out her displeasure at my action but does nothing else. For a moment I enjoy the wind as it rips through my hair before spinning to face the ground that is rushing up toward me. With a wave I thicken the air slowing my descent. When I am close enough for the fall not to harm me I set everything back to the natural order and reach out for a branch. Nimbly I swing off of it to set my feet on the ground.

            Sweeping my hand out I press my will on my surroundings, causing the trees and everything else to subtly move. Not enough to harm the environment but simply redirect the energy flow of the area. Gradually they move enough for one dragon and two elves to hide amongst them.

            Not waiting for Lyko to land I turn into the forest flinging my senses free. Once I find what I want I dash off, a bow in my hand as I move swiftly through the trees. Arrows fly from the string downing several halla. Kneeling before them I say a quick prayer of thanks to whoever created this world and stand once more. My mind wraps around the still figures, tugging them into the air to drift behind me.

            As I make my way back to the clearing I created I pick up several dead branches. My will alone causes them to snap in the air leaving smaller chunks that will burn easier and hotter.

            **You enjoy doing that**.

            "Very much so." I laugh.

            **One day you will get yourself killed with your brashness.**

            "I have you to keep me in check Lyko." I coo as I step closer, hands wrapping around her snout and pulling it down to my forehead. "Like you, I am not a fragile creature. Not anymore." Pressing a kiss to her nose I indicate the halla behind me.

            While she is distracted with food I climb up and untie Neri. The woman is still out, several bruises dot her face. Wincing in sympathy I lower her to the ground before setting about righting my wrongs. My fingers ghosting over the wounds, correcting the little hurts that make up the whole of her injuries. Her nose snaps back into place, and I sooth the swelling around her eye.

            **Are you feeling remorse?**

            "Perhaps," I shrug and steal a halla from her. She growls lightly but doesn't pursue the animal that is dragged from the pile I left for her. Grimly I set to my task, skinning the beast and taking the guts. When I indicate them Lyko shakes her large head back and forth. Sweeping them up into the air I walk a distance away to bury them. Upon returning I cut several slices of meat, laying them around the fire to cook slowly. For the rest I pull salt from the ground to rub into the meat. It is slow work.

            As I set about my tasks I keep an eye on the food, turning the meat when necessary.

            **You've ruined the meat**.

            "Have not. I can't eat it raw like you." I stick out my tongue as I force the curing of the meat along, speeding up the process that would normally take days into mere minutes. Satisfied I tuck the meat into one of the many bags I've acquired and hook it to one of the spikes that line Lyko's spine.

            When Neri begins to stir I don't take any action, instead waiting for the woman to come fully to.

            " _There is food, if you are hungry_." I say as I lift one of the slices. A glare is trained on my face. I lift a shoulder at her, " _Starve for all I care._ "

            " _Where are we?_ "

            " _Hell if I know._ " I rip a chunk off with my teeth. " _I was hoping you could tell me._ " Sweeping out my free hand I invite her to look around.

            " _I don't recognize this place._ "

            " _That,_ " I swallow, " _is because I've created it. However shortly we are going to move again, when we are in the air I would like for you to tell me how to get you home._ "

            Neri sits up all the way. Lyko, untrusting dragon that she is, shifts her whole body so that she can keep the woman in her sights as she continues to eat. Silence stretches for a moment.

            " _Why are you taking me home?_ "

            " _Because I want answers. The world isn't forgetting about me, and I'm not sure I want it to._ " I wiggle my eyebrows at her. " _If I returned without you, how would Wolf boy take it?_ " Slowly I finish my meal before licking the juices from my fingertips.

            " _You are insolent to call him such._ "

            "Did you hear her?" Lyko laughs around a mouth full of food and I toss a glare at her. "Some help you are, she is insulting me. See this is what happens when you let them live. It comes back to bite you in the ass." I snag another piece before switching back to Elvhen, " _You should really eat something._ "

            " _And how do I know it isn't poisoned?_ " She eyes it carefully.

            " _I'm eating it aren't I?_ " I hold out a piece to her. When she doesn't take it I sigh. " _If I wanted you dead you never would have woken up._ " Her eyes narrow before she takes the food. I smile at her. " _Good._ "

            We eat in silence. When she looks around for more I get up and walk to Lyko to retrieve the jerky I made. Digging through another pack I pull a water skin out and move back to the fire.

            " _Here._ "

            Darkness starts to fall. Easing up from the ground I pop my neck several times before walking over to Lyko and settling under one of her wings.

            " _We leave in a few hours. Sleep, or don't. Leave and I will know. I'll drag you back kicking and screaming; possibly break a limb or two. But you'll stay conscious._ " Her eyes glitter in the night. The only indication that I have she is listening to me is when she blinks twice; slowly and deliberately. " _If you get cold, there is more wood there._ " I point to it before rolling over and falling asleep.

 

_"Little kahuna."_

_I smile at the voice, though sadness wells up in me. It isn't him. Not my Little Max. Turning though I see that the spirit has taken his form, right down to the kindness in his eyes._

_"Do not take his form." It hurts to look at him._

_"Which form would you prefer?" It says as it shifts quickly between several. My head spins as it does._

_"Any, but not his."_

_"This one?" It settles on Nana. Her long hair just as I remember, those large soulful eyes are staring at me. Air hisses through my teeth as I gasp, jaw clenched tightly._

"Your fault!" She screams as she pounds on my chest. I look past her to where Little Max lays, two tubes down his throat; one for feeding, the other for breathing.

            "I'm sorry." I whisper as I hold my _falon_ close.

_"What do you want?" I hiss instead of succumbing to the tears that threaten my eyes. It hurts to look upon any from my past._

_"You are returning to him." A statement, not a question._

_"And?"_

_"It is unwise." The spirit shifts once more, becoming the green woman with the bob._

_"Truth." I greet as understanding washes over me. "Why is it unwise?"_

_"He will not let you escape him a second time." Her eyes look mournful as she gazes at me. "He lost your scent twice, though he still does not see it."_

_"Dread Wolf cannot keep me," I state with utter confidence._

_"He can, and he will." The spirits voice is sad. The words are said in such a manner that it leaves room for little doubt in my mind. "The path you seek to follow will lead to ruin. He plots and schemes. They know that something stirs in the darkness, something that they cannot see. The Lady wants you as her own."_

_"I know that already." I snap as I turn. A frog croaks. Strange, we are in a desert. There should be no frog here. "Daern'thal will not have me."_

_"That is not the Lady I speak of."_

Gasping I sit upright, my hand clutching at my chest. Daylight is just starting to creep over the horizon, the sky lightening slightly to hues of pink and purple.

            " _Nightmare my lady?_ " Neri asks as she tosses a log onto the fire.

            " _Didn't sleep I see._ "

            " _It wasn't necessary, given the circumstances._ " Her voice holds a little heat as her glowing eyes turn in my direction.

            Standing I prod Lyko's soft spot, the area just under the left front arm. She growls at me slightly before slipping back into a dream. Sighing I jab a little harder.

            **I will eat you elf.**

"And in so doing kill yourself." Her head lifts off the ground and swivels toward me. "Threaten all you like; until you take a chunk out of me I will call your bluff every damned time." I press a kiss to her nose before turning toward Neri. " _If you have to pee, do it now. We aren't stopping until we reach Wolf boy._ "

            She swiftly stands and moves toward the trees.

            " _Remember what I said last night!_ " I call after her disappearing form. She lifts a hand in a jerking motion. My own comes up and I flip her the bird. "Bitch."

            I look at Lyko out of the corner of my eye. Her head is stretched out, chest rising and falling easily. Stepping closer to her I lean against her chest, seeking comfort in her scales.

            **You had another dream.** She states as she unfolds a wing and places it against my back. The dragon equivalent of a hug.

            "Truth came to me again last night. She said that Daern'thal isn't the Lady." I turn my head and run my fingertips over the soft membrane of her wing. "She also said that Wolf boy won't let me go again. Something about my scent and he lost me twice already."

            **Dread Wolf is powerful, part of the Evanuris.** She rolls slightly, causing my trapped body to move with her. Scrambling I readjust so that I am sprawled across her belly. **I do not know much of him, other than he is brilliant.**

            "We already knew that though." I squeeze her sides looking for that one spot that will make her purr. "What we don't know is how Daern'thal fits into all of this, and who the ominous 'they' are."

            Her wing comes down sharply, causing my body to bounce against her.

            **Fret not Emma,** she sooths, **none will take you from me.**

            Still though, it is difficult not to worry when everyone is out to get me. At first I thought I was just a pawn, playing my way across the chess board one step at a time. But now I fear that I am something more, not a pawn but a bishop perhaps. A piece that is too valuable to give up so easily. There are too many factors, too many people who want me. Dread Wolf, this Daern'thal, the new and improved 'Lady' and whoever in the hell 'they' are.

            The scar on my side tingles causing me to run my fingers over the cloth that covers it. I am not ready; I will probably never be ready to face them. But hiding in the mountains with my dragon isn't going to solve anything. If I want to find out who, and what, I am and save the slaves I need to be out here in the world. Gathering information, moving through circles, gaining allies to my cause.

            _How hard can it be?_ I think to myself, and then scoff because I just tempted the universe to make it even harder.

            " _Neri I swear to God! You make me come out there after you it isn't going to be pretty!_ " I holler as I slide off Lyko and turn to where the elf left our little camp. " _Neri?!_ "

            With a growl I prowl off into the forest after the run-away elf. The tendrils of myself leave my body as I move through the trees, flying high above the tops of the foliage. Information about everything within a four hundred yard radius comes to me, giving me flashes of herds of animals, a stream not too far off, birds weaving through the trees and a million other little details. Pushing through the sudden influx of information I search for the blonde elf.

            Spinning in her direction I pick up the pace. She isn't alone. _Damn it! Should have never let her leave camp._ Kicking off of trees until I'm hurtling through them with neck breaking speeds I come across a trio of elves. All of them are recognizable. Neri is on the floor, bloody and broken; her face pulls up into a smile when she sees me. Her teeth are covered in blood.

            " _Well… isn't this interesting?_ " Spinning I blink toward red tattoo female and slam my shin into her face. Her arm comes up to block causing her to slide backward into a trunk of a massive tree. " _Bitches be poppin' up everywhere!_ " Red tattoo male grabs my hair, yanking me to a halt. With a snarl I pivot my hips and flip him, daggers flashing to life in my hands. "LYKO!"

            Her answering roar is a song to my ears. Both of the red tattoo elves snap their attention to the sound.

            " _She has a **dragon**?_ " The male shouts in disbelief.

            " _Hold on!_ " I shout at Neri as I grab the front of her shirt, spinning for momentum I throw her body into the air. Her scream causes a smile to ripple over my face though it vanishes quickly as she disappears through the tops of the trees. Grabbing for the obsidian daggers at my belt I turn toward the other two. " _Send Daern'thal my regards and tell her: I'll be seeing her soon_."

            The female laughs, her eyes glowing red for a moment before vines spring out of the ground and hold me in place. They are covered in thorns and as I struggle to get free they only tighten. Pain envelops me as I jerk one arm and then the other in vain. " _Daern'thal wants you now child. You won't escape a second ti-ARG!_ "

            Lyko's head appears through the trees, a snapping sound of their bodies giving away under the strain of her weight shreds the silence that hangs in the air. The male throws a barrier of the two of them as my dragon breaths ice over them.

            **What did we discuss?**

            "Yeah, yeah…" I grumble as I burn away the vines with fire. "No vague threats when I can just run away." She opens her jaws and I wrap a hand around one of her teeth. When I am secure she snaps her head back, launching me into the air. "I had it under control just so you know."

            Mothering dragon…

            Lyko vaults from the trees, Neri screams as the dragon's body shifts through the air; massive wings beating quickly to stabilize their ascent. As I start to fall I lay flat, opening my arms and legs to create drag, slowing myself just enough so that Lyko can maneuver her body under my own. When we collide I gasp in pain knowing that I will have a glorious bruise in the morning.           

            Rolling over and catching one of the spikes I steady myself before standing and walking toward Neri. The woman looks frazzled, eyes wide, hair askew.

            " _You… you threw me an-and the dragon-_."

            " _Yes, yes… very exciting. Now…_ " I roughly grab her arm to pull her toward me.

            **Emma.** Lyko chides. Rolling my eyes I wave a hand to mend her wounds. Again I might add.

            "Well I wasn't the one who made mincemeat of her face." Neri looks like she is about to lose it. " _Running away?_ "

            " _I-… no."_ Her eyes don't meet mine.

            " _You are a horrible liar for a spy Neri._ "

            " _I'm not a spy, I'm a guard._ "

            " _Well you're shitty at that too if those two got the jump on you._ " Throwing out a hand I clench my fist, erasing the clearing I made the night before. " _Doesn't matter anyhow._ " I turn to look out over one of Lyko's wings, " _Do you know where we are?_ "

            Neri stands, wobbly at first, to look at the surrounding area. " _North east._ " She indicates the area we need to head toward with a finger. Lyko turns her head to look before her body shifts to the new course. My hand goes out to steady the other woman, her feet start to slide. " _Thank you._ "

            " _Don't mention it._ " She gives me a queer look, " _Its…_ " I sigh into the palm of my hand. " _You're welcome._ "

            With a hand still on her arm I guide the two of us over to the chain around one of Lyko's spikes. Stooping down I pick it up and plant my feet. Lyko tosses her head and quickly I wrap an arm around Neri's waist and tug her close. Just in time for her to scream in my ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it so far, and (hopefully) a different story then normal.


	6. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Evening,
> 
> Here we have another installment in the Garas Vhenas series! YAY! 
> 
> Due to the holiday season another chapter will be up tomorrow. 
> 
> This one was shorter then intended and a (slight) cliffhanger(in my opinion) and I will not leave it that way! 
> 
> Happy reading!

Chapter 6

 

" _That was uncalled for lass._ " Neri huffs as we step of Lyko. With a glare she turns toward the sprawling manor before us. I hadn't spent much time here, and it was almost two decades ago that I last walked these grounds but… It looked bigger than before.

            Lifting my hand I mimic her talking and mutter under my breath, watching as she walks away.

            **I don't like this Emma.**

            "It's a step." I reply as lean against her scales. "Besides, what can go wrong?"

            **Must you tempt fate so?**

            "Look, it's different this time. I'm not going in looking for protection; I don't have to rely on him for shit. That's what you are for. Ow!" I swat at her tail that has whipped around to smack me in the shins, "Hey! I told you a long time ago what I wanted, you agreed. If you no longer want to help I won't force you."

            Frost coats my side as she breaths lightly on me, her anger evident by the roiling of my gut.

            "I know, bound together and what not. But you are your own dragon, living happy and free before I came to find you." My gaze is drawn up to her magnificent face, horns spiraling out of the back of her skull. The multitude of grays, silvers, blacks, purples, and blues that make up the whole of her coloring is dazzling to look at. She's grown in the time we've spent together. Changed. "You know that you are not held here by my will Lyko, I will never force you to remain."

            **Who else is going to look after you Emma? You are reckless, fool hardy, and likely to get yourself killed.** She gently takes my face between her teeth, pressing down slightly before withdrawing, **Now, we came all this way. Go entertain your Wolf.**

            "He isn't-"

            " _It is rude to keep the Master waiting lass._ " Neri calls out from the doorway. Now that we've arrived back at her home she seems full of herself again.

            "Is it still too late to kill her?" I ask mournfully as I shove forward with my hips to rock to my feet. Lyko laughs, bursts of cold hitting me as I start toward the door.

            **Peace rebellious one.**

            "Yeah, easy for you to say. You don't have to deal with them." She flaps her wings twice, easily throwing herself into the air.

            **With the setting of the sun I shall return. Hunt well.**

            "Love you!" I scream as she vanishes behind the trees.

            Gravel crunches under my feet as I slowly approach. A myriad of emotions are running through me. Fear being the primary one, this place… it was the last time I felt like my life was in danger. Those tattooed elves were deep in the forest far away from here, hopefully broken upon some tree as it was ripped back into its natural spot. That didn't mean there weren't others in the area. This place was supposed to represent safety; instead it was everything I hated.

            " _Well, where is he?_ " Neri examines me a moment before she steps out of the doorway and starts into a place I once thought to call home. Now, home was on the back of a dragon who would never let me be manipulated for the gains of another.

            " _I'm sorry lass, truly I am._ " She speaks as I step over the threshold. Her head tilts in my direction. " _The drug, it should never have been used on you._ "

            " _Apology not accepted. I'm not here to make nice Neri; I'm here for the slaves._ " She flinches at my words but continues onward. The deeper we walk the more I wish I had demanded he meet me outside. There weren't many memories here, but it had been pleasant once. The familiar carvings and paintings wound the hallways. Time spent with the women, drinking and playing a strange version of cards that involved the knuckle bones of a griffon.

            Silently Neri opens a door and steps back. " _I will inform him of your arrival my lady._ "

            My head jerks down and to the right as I watch her close the door. As I move deeper into the room I look around. Lining three of the four walls are shelves covered in books of all shapes and colors. Thick ones, thin ones, ones that are no larger than the palm of my hand, others as large as an end table. There is a fireplace, a flame dancing merrily within its stone confines. Inhaling deeply I smell sandalwood, rain, and lilies. A cart is in the corner; on top are several crystal decanters. Walking over to it I pluck one up and sniff it before pouring the contents into a glass.

            The first sip is heady, I can taste the barrel it's been aged in, and a smoky bite after I swallow. The liquid burns down my throat, warming my belly. It is sweet, like caramelized sugar has been added for color. Quickly I down the rest, been a long time since I've done shots. A smile lights my face as I pour another finger and step back.

            The palm of my hand glides over several books before I pick one up and start to skim through it. Idly I flip through the pages before setting it down and crossing to one of the many couches in the room. Taking a sip I sit and wait.

            It isn't long before the door opens quietly and his presence engulfs the room. Refusing to turn and acknowledge his entrance I set the glass down on the table and cross one leg over another.

            " _You've returned._ " He states as he walks to the cart and pours a less intense drink for himself. " _I had thought to drag you back to keep the bargain we struck, but you proved difficult to find._ " A sip is taken before he hums in approval and pours more into his glass. " _Imagine my surprise when my agent informs me you were in the south. Or a woman fitting your description. And a dragon rider no less._ "

            Without my consent my body stiffens. His ocean colored eyes takes it in and a smirk pulls one corner of his mouth up.

            " _Did you think I would not find you?_ "

            " _I was unaware that I was so important for one of your standing to search with such dedication._ " I counter as I adjust on the couch. " _But I am not here for protection._ "

            " _Oh? Then what are you here for?_ " One of his hands comes up to sweep a stray dread lock from his face.

            " _Neri has been very informative._ " I tuck my feet under me and rest my head on the back of the couch. " _Said that our goals align._ "

            " _Did she now?_ " Anger slowly creeps into his eyes. My hand reaches out to snag the glass and I take another drink. This is surprisingly civil.

            " _Honestly I wouldn't blame her._ " I state, not willing to see the elf hurt because I wanted answers. I really didn't want to stop and think about it. " _I imagine greater than her have broken under the snapping of angry dragon jaws._ "

            " _There are no records of a dragon being used as an interrogation method, so there is no precedence._ " He stands and holds out his hand. Little has changed about him; his hair is still in a messy bun at the top of head. The earing is gone, but the jawbone remains. Still there is that feeling of the pain lessening around him, the easing of the hole in my heart. Gently I hold out my glass.

            Silently I watch him cross the room. Each time I have been in his presence there is an ease to my aching that none other holds. Not even Lyko. It scares me that he can bring me such comfort and I don't know anything about him except that he is handsome, powerful, and he saved my life on several occasions. That he is deadly, brilliant, and apparently very kind to instill such loyalty in his staff.

            " _It is very effective._ " I assure when he returns.

            " _It was very kind of you to bring her home Emma._ " He says as he hands me my glass. I make a negative noise in my throat as my hand comes up to take it.

            " _Please don't call me that._ " My head feels like its floating in the clouds. The rum is very good here. " _Having people call me 'mine' all the time… not something that I'm fond of._ "

            He moves from the other couch to mine, causing me to sit up straight.

            " _And what else would I call you?_ "

            " _Marel._ " I state simply.

            Too many things take place for me to process until the world stands still again.

            I'm pressed up against a wall, his body covering mine. There is a silent growl building up in the back of his throat. My eyes dart around the room as I try to remember what just happened. Glass is shattered, and I can feel bits of it in my leg. His blood is running down one arm, both of mine are pinned over my head. The couch that I had been sitting on seconds ago is shattered; chunks of stuffing are still floating down to rest gently upon the torn fabric.

            A barrier is over the room. It went up the instant I told him my name, while I was flying through the air, as he broke the couch, a breath later he had me within his grasp. Blood, his blood, was on my throat. He broke the crystal glass with his grip. His eyes had flashed from deep blue to brilliant and back in a moment.

            _Lyko was right. I'm not ready_. The words are rushed as they enter my mind.

            "What the fuck just happened?" I moan as I try to struggle free. My whole body is in agony. At least four ribs are cracked, and the bruise from earlier this week has been aggravated again.

            " _Who are you?_ " He snarls, his hand once more upon my throat. Like he wants to choke the life out of me but is scared to do so on the off chance I'm right.

            " _Marel._ "

            " _She is **dead**. Do not speak her name again._ " His hand tightens and he slams my head into the wall again. Mother fucker be crazy.

            " _Get off me._ " I growl in response, the room is spinning hardcore now and it's difficult to string two words together.

            " _How did you hear that name?_ " I buck my hips which only causes him to press further into me.

            " _Truth._ " I gasp past the pressure on my throat. " _A spirit of Truth gave me that name._ "

            His hand fists on the edge of my shirt. He rips it up and runs his fingers down the right side of my body. I glare at him, at his intrusion. When his eyes widen and he steps back I fall to my knees and cough violently trying to pull in air.

            " _I'm sorry._ " He whispers before he is gone from the room.

            What is with everyone and their fucking mood swings in this place?

 

My fists are bloody and bruised. The evidence of my pounding has long since vanished. The barrier Dread Wolf erected around the room is still in place and I cannot get through it. All of the windows in the room have been broken out in my attempts to escape.

            It seems Truth was correct; he will not let me go a second time. I scoff and roll my head against the wall lifting the decanter to my lips for another drink. Pulling my knees up to my chest I rest my head against them. He has to return sooner or later. Someone has to let me out of this room.

            Lyko will be returning soon. The sun is approaching the horizon. She isn't going to be happy when she gets back. Hell, _I'm_ not happy at this moment. But there is nothing I can do right now so… I drink.

            When the bottle is empty I throw it across the room to shatter upon the door.

            " _You can't keep me here forever!_ " I scream, stumbling back in my drunken haze. My hand splays over a table and I catch myself just before I fall to the ground. Wincing when the pain in my back flares to life. "I should probably…"

            Leaning over I puke on the floor. Laughter bubbles up and I wave a hand. The pain in my torso vanishes as I knit the bones back together. Sighing in relief I glare at the little puddle on the floor. Snapping my fingers it vanishes and I regret it instantly. Asshole should have some sort of mess to clean up.

            Well, beyond the one he made of the room.

            Blood trickles down my leg and I remember belatedly that there is still glass in it. Sitting down—falling—I pull my leg to my face and look at the damage. It isn't horrible, many of them are just below the surface of the skin. My hand closes in a fist, the expected blade popping into reality. Gently I work the glass from my body for it to fall onto the ground; little _plink_ noises invade the silence as they hit the wood.

            Once all of them are out I tap a finger with exaggerated care against the holes in my leg. They vanish, one by one until there is nothing but the blood trails to indicate that I had ever been hurt.

            " _Hey!_ " I stand and start toward the door. " _I have to pee! And I want a bath!_ " I fling the door open and glare into the hall. A servant freezes as our eyes lock. " _You!_ " I jab the barrier causing the silver haired male to jump. " _Let me- NO! Don't run away I'll be your- DAMN IT ALL TO HELL._ " I press my face to the invisible wall and try to follow his progress away from me. " _Come back! I-I'm friendly! Promise I'll good!_ "

            I drop down to my knees and prod the barrier gently. "Fucker…" Slumping over I crawl toward one of the not broken couches. Heaving myself upon to the plushy goodness I settle in to wait some more. "Too bad my wait-a-minute is broken." I mumble into the fabric under my cheek. Rolling over I stare at the ceiling.

            The sound of something being set down causes me to bolt upright. A glare quickly crosses my face.

            " _I don't want to see you right now._ " He chuckles at my words. " _Get lost Wolf boy._ " I flop back down on the couch before I remember I'm trapped in this room. " _Better yet!_ " I fling a hand into the air. " _Let down the stupid force field and let me out, **then** you can get lost._ "

            Solas comes into my line of sight. Rolling over I press my body into the back of the couch. "Go away." I mumble. Gentle hands wrap around my waist and lift me toward him. I lift a hand and clumsily attempt to push his face away. " _No, bad touch_."

            " _Bad touch? Yes, after what I did any touch would fall into that category._ " He pulls a bowl closer; in the bowl is a cloth. Lifting it from the water and wringing it out he brings it to my face, dabbing at spots.

            " _You don't get to,_ " I push at his hand while bending backward in attempt to get away from him, " _act like this._ " The alcohol is completely impairing my ability to think. Warning bells should be going off but everything is silent in my head. " _Stop acting like you care. I saw the real face._ "

            " _One of them._ " He corrects as he pulls the cloth away. " _And it is one that you never should have seen_." With a sigh he lifts me back toward him. " _Words cannot express my sorrow for what I have done._ " I twist my head away, hands on his chest. He ignores my attempts to get away and crushes me to him. " _I swear I didn't know you were alive._ _You don't remember, but you will. And I will be here when you do._ "

            " _You aren't going to be anywhere near me buddy._ " I reply as I squirm against him. " _I don't know how we are connected but that bridge has sailed._ "

            " _I believe you mean that bridge has burned._ " He chuckles as he picks up the cloth again. Is he laughing at me? I level a glare at him as he gently wipes at my neck, when it comes away it is tinted pink. " _Or perhaps the ship has sailed? It would be amusing to see a bridge sailing._ "

            " _Stop being nice._ " I growl as I rip the cloth from his hand and fling it across the room. " _It makes it harder to hate you._ "

            " _Good, there should be no such emotion between us._ " Another cloth appears in the bowl. Lashing out with my foot I knock it and its contents onto the floor. " _That was childish._ "

            " _Well fuck you._ "

            " _One day we shall._ " My eyes widen as he leans close. " _I want to you listen very closely. You are mine-_ "

            " _No, I'm Marel._ " I giggle at the look on his face. It is one of utter patience. Gently he adjusts me against him. His arm slides under my legs and he lifts me into his lap. My hand connects to his face again and I flail my legs in one last attempt to get away.

            " _Allow me to rephrase. Marel is mine. If you are Marel, you are mine._ " I still at his words, they are delivered with such calm, quiet conviction. Turning my face to his I lift an eyebrow. His face is full of determination when he speaks again, " _You are to live here now. Protection will be given,_ " he brings his hand over my mouth to stop my words. " _You will accept it; there will be no further discussion on this. If you leave, I will find you and return you to where you belong. You can hate me, but you will be safe._ "

            With that he stands, taking me with him. A roar splits the air. Grinning I suck in a huge breath and scream "LYKO!!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	7. Trapped

You know that moment when you're really fucked? Not just like… oh man I messed up guess I'll go get the bucket but _really_ messed up? Bodies strewn everywhere, blood on the walls kind of messed up?

            Yeah, it isn't fun. Its seconds before I realize that screaming for Lyko to come get me, on the first floor in a three story manor, was probably really stupid. What is she going to do? Dive through the top two floors? Break out the walls? It's the alcohol, must be. Or Lyko is right and I'm just really stupid.

            "Probably not my smartest move." I whisper as the sounds of angry dragon grow louder. The walls of the room shake causing dust motes to fall from the ceiling.

            " _Your dragon I presume?_ " Wolf boy sure sounds testy. " _Perhaps you did not realize-_ "

            " _Yeah, I do now. Might want to-_ " The south wall blows out scattering wood and stone across the room. Solas spins away from the blast, a barrier coming around the two of us to prevent injuries, " _put me down._ " I finish lamely. My stomach heaves at the sudden spin. The world doesn't want to stay still after that.

Lyko's muzzle is shoved through the hole, her face is turned sideways. Pushing with my hands I manage to wrangle myself over Wolf boy's shoulder. "Lyko! You came!" I giggle as I open and close my hands in her direction.

            My body starts to struggle in earnest. Limbs wiggling back and forth. I'm sure my elbow hit Wolf boy's cheek; palm connects with the underside of his chin. Oaths are muttered from his mouth as I tilt forward, Lyko stretching toward me. I swipe with both hands, trying to grab onto her scales, a tooth, anything that will pull me to her.

            " _Leggo_." I grumble. Solas, begrudgingly it seems, set me on the ground though he stays within arm reach.

            **Emma what has happened.** She asks as soon as I'm within touching distance. Solas walks close, not wanting me out of easy reach. **Why is he… did you two mate?** Her black orb darts from me to Wolf boy behind me.

            " _Nahh…_ " I toss myself over her muzzle, " _Let's go pretty girl, nothing for us-_ "

            " _Did you forget our conversation?_ " Solas asks as he steps forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. His grip tightens on me. " _I believe I made myself clear, you will be remaining here._ "

            " _Eat the Wolf so we can go._ " I prompt as I twist out of his grasp and slide closer to her warmth. My leg crawls up the base of her neck as my arms wrap around, heel inching over.

            **Are you drunk? Emma why is the man saying you are going to stay here?** Her snout presses against my back in effort to help me gain footing.

            "Let's go!" I kick the sides of her throat. "Hyah!"

            Lyko is less than amused, her teeth close around my pant leg and she jerks me off of her. **Did you achieve our purpose?** Solas tries to drag me toward him but I spin and lash out with a leg, hand going to one of Lyko's horns to steady myself as the world spins again. A growl from the dragon has him rocking backwards with his hands in the air.

            " _I believe the dragon does not like-_ " Her snout rips around and she roars into his face. He seems nonplused but I dissolve into a fit of giggles, sliding down her leg to rest on the floor. My hand comes up and points at Wolf boy.

            " _She does not appreciate you speaking for her._ "

            **Focus Emma!** Lyko commands as her head whips around. **Why are you covered in blood?** Her eyes narrow on the fragmented couch, **Is that normal for elven furniture? It doesn't look comfortable.**

            " _It was very comfortable, before he broke it. Bad Wolf._ " I shake a finger at him. " _Bad, bad Wolf_."

            " _Giving only half the story will serve no one._ " Solas comments dryly before facing Lyko fully. " _There was a misunderstanding._ " His arms are splayed to the side in a placating manner, " _Lyko?_ " She snorts ice in his direction, he waves it away. " _I shall take that as a yes. Rumors have been spreading about your companion._ "

            "Can you even understand him?" I ask as I lean forward and clutch my head.

            **Hush, Emma.**

            "It was just a-"

            **Emma, the other elf, the not drunk one, is trying to speak.**

            Alright, she can understand him. Whoopee.

            " _Is she quite finished?_ " He asks, his hand indicating me. The dragon gives an equivalent of a shrug that has him looking between the two of us again. Lifting my hand indicate for him to carry on. " _Rumors that she is gifted with the ability to control animals, which I believe accounts for the reason you are here. She was operating under the name Emma-_ " Lyko growls at his use of her name for me, " _yes, she didn't like it when I referred to her as such either. Then she informed me that she was Marel._ " He continues speaking but Lyko wants to interrupt him.

            " _Lyko wants to know what that name has to do with anything._ "

            " _It is everything._ " He crouches down in front of me. " _Marel is the name that M-_ "

            I slump over and lose consciousness, giggling the whole way.

 

" _Well,_ " Solas speak as he stands. Perhaps it was for the best that he did not finish this conversation. A different tactic might be required.

She is unexpected. Seeing her all those years ago… He should have known then. Rage courses through him. That she has been on this world, facing unknown danger, hunted by one of his brethren, pursued by rivals in his home. It is unacceptable. " _Will you allow me?_ " The dragon blinks but does nothing to stop him when he leans over to lift Marel from the ground.

            She is a far cry from the woman he remembers. The color of her hair and eyes remain the same, but she is _more_ than the old Marel had been. She is not as lean as she once was, hands are rough from years of hard work, skin tanned from time spent under the sun. Subtle changes to her soul, enough that she did not appear as she once had. Now that he knows to look for the similarities they are glaringly obvious.

            Gently he reaches out and moves a stray strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Conscious that the dragon is watching he stands fully, Marel firmly in his arms.

            " _There is a room, on the top floor, the north east corner. Renovations have been made in preparation of your return._ " He turns and starts toward the door, stopping when the dragon growls. Tilting his head in her direction he speaks, " _This woman will come to no harm under my roof. She is mine._ " The dragon, Lyko, bristles at him. " _I do not share, however in light of recent events… shall we say she is ours?_ " What better protection for her then a dragon?

            Solas moves slowly toward the door, carefully picking his way over the rubble in the room. The barrier falls as he crosses the threshold allowing Marel to leave. He would not tolerate the idea of her out of his sight again. It was difficult enough to believe that she was here. If he had not been able corroborate her story with the spirit… pain lances him at what he would have done to her. At the thought that someone would dare to masquerade as Marel.

            Unconsciously his arms tighten around the woman, pressing her further into him. She smells of ice and raspberries. He slows and leans against a wall, emotions he thought to never experience again are raging through him. How she can be here, after all this time? What had she experienced in the other world? She had mentioned a friend, little…

            He growls when he cannot remember. Was this man important to her? The idea of another man touching-

            Quickly he rips himself from those thoughts. It doesn't matter, she is here now. Those in the other reality cannot hope to reach her here.

            His plans may have to be put on hold. The Marel in his arms was not the delicate creature she had been so very long ago. Evidence of training dotted her body, scars from wounds both small and large painted a story he longed to know.

            Pressing off the wall and staring toward the stairs he thought of all the hard work they were about to face. The long hours that would need to be put in for training, the small fortune he would need to pay to keep her identity a secret for the moment. _She_ wasn't not going to be pleased when she found out he intended to hide her own daughter from her. But that was something that was unavoidable. She kept nothing from her mate, and that man couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his own life. No, telling anyone now would only put Marel in more danger then she needed to be in.

            " _Senna,_ " Solas calls out, the woman was not far off; he could feel her presence behind the door he is paused before. " _Would you please have a bath drawn in the morning for our guest? Also send Quin out for large quantities of meat._ " The dragon alone was going to be a hassle to feed, but he was all but glowing with pride at Marel mastering that particular gift of hers. Grateful to the spirit of Truth that set her on that path, even if it had led away from him.

            " _My lord?_ " Senna asks as she opens the door, " _Oh! Neri was successful, I am pleased. Shall I inform-_ "

            " _No, no one is to know of our guest. This is to stay amongst my agents only. None but myself and you are allowed in her rooms. Not even Neri._ "

            " _Yes, the poor thing must not be fond of her now. Not after how things were left between the two of them._ " Senna feels for Neri, she had only been following orders. They were surprised when they had found her on the floor and Emma vanished with only a note on the mirror to indicate that she was ever there at all. " _Is there anything else you need My Lord?_ "

            " _Do we have any raspberries? If I recall correctly she was quiet fond of them._ "

            Senna quirks her head, thinking. " _I don't remember her eating any, but I shall look at the food stores._ " She closes the door behind her as she steps into the hall, " _If we do not, would you like me to have Quin pick some up when he is fetching the meat?_ "

            " _That would be appreciated,_ " Solas smiles down at the thoughtful woman. " _You should be informed that a dragon will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. I do not wish for you to be alarmed in the morning._ " Senna's eyes widen but she nods none the less. " _Dismissed._ " A curtsy is given before the woman disappears down the hall.

            Adjusting his grip on Marel he starts back down the hall. He is moving quickly now. There is no doubt in his mind that Lyko is already in the room and growing restless. If past actions were any indications Marel would flee at the slightest indication of risk to her person. It would be a delicate process to ensure she understood the necessity of remaining in his care, if he was able to convince the dragon it would make it easier for Marel to remain.

            That their goals aligned made things simpler. If she was speaking of his plans to free their people from slavery. His brethren were not making things easy on him; he is loathed to take action against them. But their ceaseless infighting and reckless rampaging across Elvhenan had made his decision long ago. Mythal was the only one that was standing in the way of their people's destruction. Hers was the only voice of reason among the madness.

            When he enters the room designated to belong to Marel the dragon is already waiting for them. It is large enough to accommodate for the dragon, a section of the walls have been removed and a barrier has been placed over it. When he returned he would personally see to it that the barrier was attuned to Lyko specifically so none could enter that way other than the dragon.

            In one corner lays a large bed, lined with many furs and pillows. In the other is a wardrobe—which would have to have the clothing replaced if he was any judge—and a dressing screen. A large dawnstone tub rests just on the other side, and a fireplace finishes the woman's side of the room. For the dragon's side it was much simpler. The floor was solid stone with braces set under the floor on both the first and second floors to improve stability for the weight it would bear. In the roof above the dragon were stones that radiated heat, as most dragons were apt to laze about under the sun. Lyko is currently stationed perfectly under them.

A large patch of ice under her form. He stares for a moment, thinking that it was going to ruin the floor, before approaching the bed to lay Marel down. His body grows cold in the absence of her heat.

            " _I expect you have questions._ " He states as he turns to face the dragon, " _Sadly, there is no way for you to express them to me. So I shall start simply._

" _Marel has been gone from this world for over three thousand years. When we first met she indicated that she was absent for only ten short years. The realities must move along different time lines. This, while surprising, is not unexpected. Before Marel left there was an attempt on her life by one who wished to claim her as their own._ " Lyko growls, " _In the event that is directed at me, no it was not I who attempted to end her days. Marel was already mine at that moment, or she would have been soon._ " There would be no denying this, no questions surrounding his intentions toward the woman. Not after the words spoken earlier in the evening. " _We were to become life mates. She was my one love, and I was hers._

" _All of importance believes her dead; however rumors are spreading of a woman who controls a dragon._ " He indicates Marel and Lyko, " _As you can see, they are not untrue. It is a rare gift among our kind, more so than the Dreamers that rule our society. Only a handful of her kind has been born, many of them sought out to turn the tides of battle. Control of all great creatures, dragons, griffons, red lions—the list goes on. It will not be long before the connection is made that she is one of those who were lost to us long ago. It is imperative that she gains control over her abilities, to have the tools to survive in this world._

            " _If she truly intends on freeing the slaves I will offer any assistance in this matter. But I would not see her in a position to be used by others. Nor would I see her person subject to any harm._ " He starts toward the door despite his desire to remain in the room, " _I shall leave it here tonight. When she wakes please inform her that I will return in a few days. Until then Senna will see to any need she, or you, may have._ " When he looks back before exiting the room the dragon is watching him closely. They stay that way for what seems an eternity before she dips her head once and lays it across Marel's sleeping form.

            His eyes glow once more, locking a barrier in place that prevents her from leaving the room. Let her hate him, he would not lose her again.

 

My eyelids pull back slowly, like my eyes are made of sandpaper. It hurts to keep them open. Groaning I roll over into the pillow. Every inch of my skull hurts, pounding out a rhythm that matches my heart beat. Each throb is painful, like someone one is shoving needles into my brain.

            God what did I drink? Pressing my hands into the—where the fuck am I? I haven't slept in a bed since…

            "No," I whisper as I pry my eyes open once more and look around. "Fuck it all." I growl, wincing when the sound grates in my ears and causes the agony to step up a notch. Rocking back to sit on my heels I press the heels of my hands into my eye sockets.

            **I was afraid you were never going to wake.** Lyko chides as she adjusts. How the hell is she in the room with me? Turning my head slightly I peek out with one eye. She is defiantly in the room. My gaze roams out past her to look at the walls that have been removed; a barrier is in place of the stone structure.

            "Where are we?"

            **You do not remember?**

            "The last thing I remember is…" I sigh and flop back into the pillows, tugging the furs around me. "Dread Wolf. We were in the library thing and he-he had-" my hands grab at the roots of my hair as I curl in on myself in attempt to block out the light, "-thrown me against the wall, glass in my leg, he locked me in that room."

            Lyko growls and my hand shoots out from under the furs to wave the noise away. **He did not mention that portion of the evening.**

            "Well he is a lying sack of shit." Lyko reaches out and steals the furs. "Evil bitch."

            **There are things we need to discuss Emma.**

            "I was perfectly capable of having a conversation _under_ them. It's too bright."

            **He said you were his, do you recall any of this?** Images flash in front of my eyes as I remember the one memory I have of the before.

_I run through the forest. As I dodge the trees I hear the sound of pursuit but it doesn’t strike fear in me. Instead it brings a sense of elation, of joy to my heart._ He _is there and he will always be there for me. Mother knows, she knows everything. She does not say anything. It feels like eons since we first met, Mother is patience though._

_She says that our auras' reach for each other. She smiles when I ask what that means. She only tells me that one day I will find out._ When you're ready _, she says as she pats my cheek fondly. I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready, but that's okay, because he's here. And he is even more patience than Mother._

_My body leans back and I feel the softness of moss brush against my nose as I slide under a fallen log. My shirt is pulled up and I feel the scrape of a rock against my back. Pain registers but I don't stop moving. To stop is to lose the game, and losing is not an option. Too many people think I'm soft, they try to cage me. Mother laughs every time I go out the window and slip the guards. When they finally find me and bring me home there is a little bit of Pride in her eye._

_Rebellion. That's what she says I am. A rebel._

_A howl echoes from behind me, pulling me back to where I am. I leap across the next fallen log, foot pressing against the bark. Another little scrape but mana surges and wipes the pain away. I keep moving deeper and deeper into the woods. There is no fear in me, I am free. This is freedom._

_A noise from my left alerts me to his presence. Twisting as I stop running I turn to face him. I don't know if he expects this or not, but he doesn't disappoint me._

_The shadow of a large wolf soars toward me. My feet turn slightly as I brace for impact. There is a feral grin on his face and a deadly gleam in his eye. I feel my own face twisting to match his._

_Ducking at the last minute I place my hands on his ribs and shove him to the side. Thick warm fur encompasses my hands. A whine born of surprise escapes his throat but I am gone before the sound of him crashing into a tree can be heard. A grumbling laughter follows me as I dive through the brush._

            Gasping I thrust the memory at Lyko. She drinks it in, looking at it from every angle. There is no description of my mother, no memory of her other then what I remember in that little snippet.

            **Is it the same Wolf?**

            "I don't know. You know as much as I do."

            **He can change into a wolf yes?**

            "Yeah," I roll over pulling a pillow over my head.

            **What does he look like?**

            "Ugh, pushy… why?"

            **I believe I poised a question first.**

            "Fine," I pull up the memory and shove it through the link. Six eyes, vivid blue, large fangs, black fur, massive paws, almost as tall as Lyko's shoulder.

            **He does not seem as large in your memory.**

            "I never said the wolf from my memory was Wolf boy."

            **It would make sense-**

            "You are like a dog with a bone, why is it so important? What happened last night?" I growl as I sit up. Lyko blinks one orb in my direction as she positions her head next to mine. "Don't play innocent with me. He said something didn't he? Didn't he?"

            She quickly gives me the details of what happened after I passed out like a light weight. Seriously, what kind of alcohol is he packing in his house?

            "Well… Neri mentioned something about three thousand years. But he acted like he had no idea who I was." I stand and start to pace, forgetting about the pain that pulls at my head. "Why would Neri be more informed then her employer?"

            **Perhaps simply hearing the name?**

            "No… she implied that others knew who I was, or suspected." I roll my shoulders back, groaning in pleasure when my back pops several times. "How could they be privy to this information and not him?"

            **That is a question better asked of your Wolf.**

            "He isn't-"

            A light knock comes at the door stopping me midsentence. One day I will get it out. Starting toward the door I cast a dark look at Lyko.

            "It doesn't matter, we should leave."

            **It would be in our best interest to remain. If he, one of the Evanuris, was able to best you so easily do you think you are ready to take on the others? Ones who are not guided by morals?**

            "That man has no-" I yank open the door and glare at the woman before me, "morals. _Hello Senna, to what do I-_ " my attempts to step beyond the doorway are not successful. I narrow my eyes at her, she responds with a hesitant smile. " _Am I a prisoner?_ "

            **He did not give any indication of that.**

" _No, Lady Emma. He simply wishes to keep you safe._ " Senna holds up a tray of food. " _May I?_ "

            " _Marel._ " I correct as I step back, hand snaking out to pick up the delicious red berries that are over flowing from a bowl. Slight agitation winds through me that someone here knows of my preference for these little bits of heaven. Senna moves past me agilely, her face holding something of reverence. It shouldn't have been possible but my eyes narrow further at her back. " _If I'm not a prisoner why am I stuck in this room?_ "

            " _For your protection._ " Senna states simply.

            " _I've managed well enough on my own._ " The woman turns to me and lifts a plate of food in my direction.

            " _Merely a precaution I assure you. Dread Wolf does not do anything without reason._ " I suck on my teeth as I walk closer, inspecting the food offered to me. Eggs, something that looks suspiciously like ham, a hunk of bread. On the tray behind her is porridge, a container of honey, and a tankard of something that doesn't look like ale. Lifting my chin I take the food and sniff it.

            " _It's not going to knock me out again is it?_ "

            " _No, My Lady._ "

            " _What is in the cup?_ "

            " _After seeing you in that state last night I thought you would appreciate a restorative draught._ " She walks toward the tub, her foot pressing into a stone on the floor. Pipes rise from nowhere. Twisting the spout until it is over the tub she turns something and water starts to pour into the tub. One brow lifts, he's upgraded recently. " _It is a simple potion, one that lessens pain._ " She taps her head as she returns to me. " _Do you require anything else at this time?_ "

            " _To be let out of the room._ " She gives me a sad look and shakes her head. " _Eh… worth a shot. Do tell him that I am not fond of being locked in one spot for too long._ "

            " _I shall, as soon as he returns._ "

            "ARE YOU FUC-" I break off as the pain in my head flares to life at the sound of my raised voice. " _I see he likes to keep to familiar patterns. Good to know._ " My mood sours, it hadn't been good to start with, but it was even worse now. I was going to be trapped in room so frequently. Habits needed to be broken if Lyko was going to continue insisting we remain here.

            Senna quietly slips from the room, muttering an apology as she closes the door behind her. I instantly feel bad, it isn't her fault her employer is an egotistical, misogynistic ass who thought I needed to be locked away for safety.

            Sitting on the edge of the bed I stare at the plate in my hands. Rolling my eyes I pick up the ham looking food I nibble on the edge of it. With a sigh I set both the plate and the bowl to the side before walking over to the tub and turning off the water. Steam is rising from the now full bathtub. Shrugging out of my clothes I slip into it, a moan is pulled from my lips as I sink beneath the water.

            Soo nice…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Enjoy the Holidays with your family!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which sweets are made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the break! Holidays are hectic times, but this chapter is a little longer and full of fluff. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 8

 

Day six in this room. Senna comes frequently to provide food and to take the empty plates. At my requests she brought me several books to read. None of them hold my attention for long and as a result are strewn across the room. Some of them are open, lying face down to mark the page, others are dog eared.

            "I'm going to go mad in here." I comment for the umpteenth time as I gaze out of the hole in the wall. Lyko is free to come and go as she wishes. Me? Nope. He has been very thorough in holding me captive. A hole in the corner of the room and one in the wall that leads into the main house prove as much, which Senna was not happy about. The barrier encompasses the entire room leaving no way out.

            Also, I'm currently talking to myself. The traitorous dragon has left _again_ to do whatever it is dragons do when no humans are around. Meaning she flies in lazy circles and swoops down occasionally to lift a ram or halla into the air before gliding off to devour it then promptly romp around in a river while she spews ice to make herself more comfortable.

            I stretch out a knuckle and rap against the barrier again. Something of this size, one would think there would be a flaw, a tiny thread that doesn't follow the weave correctly. A tiny iota of imperfection that would make it easier to tear down. So far though, there isn't. Which has me pursing my lips in disapproval. No one is this quintessential with magic. Or at least _no one should be_.

            "Ass." I mumble as I tap again. A slight dip the in construct lasts for a moment before it bounces back and a ripple is born. Closing my eyes I follow the shifting energy pattern, looking for something that doesn't reform as quickly as the others. My body follows the ripple across the room, from one corner to another. Throwing my hands into the air I give. I have gone over this room with a fine tooth comb, looking for the slightest indication that I can get out. "Fucking kill him…"

            Crossing back to the door I throw it open and scream into the hallway. Waiting several moments to see if she heard me before opening my mouth again. " _SENNA_!" Tilting my head I thrust one ear farther out, it twitches as I wait for a response. Irritation spikes through me and gathering magic I reach down through the floor, searching for…

            "Son of a bitch he's back." Slamming the door closed I walk back to the barrier. I could feel his awareness on me. The magic that each of the people inherently hold inside them is different—shaped and formed by their personality. Just like no two people were the same, all magic had a different flavor. At least that's what one of the books Senna brought me said. So I had spent the last three days, pressing my awareness into the floor slowly learning the different textures. Senna felt like sunshine on a crisp winter morning. It was refreshing. The others I couldn't place names to, but no one had felt like _that_. And none of them had noticed me doing it, or if they had they hadn't paid any attention to me.

            But him?

            The feeling brings a sense of… eternal. A yawning chasm that has no end, nor beginning. The intensity of his attention is startling. My senses have withdrawn back to me in an attempt to escape the scrutiny, but I can still feel it. He is moving around the house, each task is making him more and more agitated. I cannot pin point the reason for his ire, nor why it grows.

            Hours pass like this. My gaze is on the sky, hoping that Lyko will come back. I swallow thickly as each minute seems to crawl by. Arms are tightly folded across my chest. My palms tingle and I rub them against my pant leg. I blink slowly and try to fold further in on myself. If he cannot feel me, he cannot continue with this course of action. Slowly breathing in and out I take everything that makes me _me_ and lock it away. Pushing it deep into my core to hover around the essence of my soul. It is uncomfortable, makes me feel too full. Almost as if I hold this for too long I will burst at the seams. Like I am back in that forest.

            There is a little pop in the air around me and his magic slides from my being. I take a steadying breath. My whole body is shaking. Slowly I move away from the barrier and walk toward the tub, my foot easily catching the latch to lift the spout from the floor. The roar of the water sooths my nerves though it draws a deep want to the fore. I desire for the push and the pull of the tide, to feel the raging of the ocean around me. Grabbing a bottle I drop some of the contents into the water and watch as it starts to froth.

            Fingers deftly undo the ties at my side as I walk toward the changing screen. Allowing the cloth to drop from my shoulders I quickly shimmy out of my pants. Finding a towel I step into the tub and resign myself to wait. If he doesn't show soon I will allow myself to come out again.

            Using my toes I turn off the water and submerge myself, wiping away the bubbles once I reemerge.

            The door slams open with such force that it bounces off the wall and into the waiting hand of Dread Wolf. My leg is sticking out of the water and I have frozen. The soap slips from my fingers and plops into the water, drawing his focus to me. Several emotions wash across his face before he jabs a finger in my direction with an open mouth. He visibly stops himself and closes the door behind him as he steps into the room.

            " _You're safe._ " He states as he slumps over. " _I had thought…_ " Wolf boy straightens out and walks toward the bed, his eyes refusing to glance in my direction after that first moment.

            " _Thought what? That I managed to get out?_ " I don't bother holding the anger out of my voice. " _Which, in case you aren't aware, is a violation of my freedom._ " I laugh as I sit up and search around for the soap. " _The entire reason I came here is because Neri-_ " he growls at her name, interesting, "- _said that our goals align. If you don't want to free slaves then I am in the wrong place and am going to have to insist that you cease and desist this stupid pig headed behavior that you've adopted._ " I level a glare at him as I corner the soap. " _And she had better still be alive._ "

            " _She still draws breath_." His tone is not reassuring though.

            " _Just barely through shattered teeth and cracked ribs?_ " I prod as I work quickly to clean myself. The want of clothes is very strong right now. " _What am I to call you anyway? So many different names that apply… jack ass, stubborn, rude…_ "

            " _If memory serves, we cleared this up decades ago._ " His hand is wrapped around a book and he slowly leafs through the pages. " _Interesting reading material… the manifestations of the soul… are you aware that you have hidden yours?_ " Finally he looks at me, his eyes are narrowed. " _So completely that I was unable to sense you._ "

            " _The attention was unwanted._ " I counter as I motion for him to turn around. An animalistic noise escapes his mouth but he does as I ask, dropping the book back onto the bed.

            " _You were the one who pulled my attention to you in the first place._ " The towel held firmly around me as I practically run for the cover of the privacy screen. " _If you did not want the attention it would be wise not to draw it to yourself._ "

            " _Don't make me the culprit here **Solas**._ " I bite out as I look around for a change of clothes. Shit. I peek around the screen and stare at the wardrobe. " _I was looking for Senna. Not you_. _And how did I draw it to me?_ "

            " _Running the essence of your soul across mine._ " He answers as he turns to me.

            " _Don't look!_ " I screech. Laughing he covers his eyes with his hand. " _It wasn't my soul._ "

            " _Are you so sure?_ " Lifting the book he spins around and presses a knee into the bed. He starts to read a passage from the text. Half listening I quickly start lifting the clothes behind the screen and look at them. There weren't many and I was loathed to put any of them on again. " _…act is considered intimate…_ " Perhaps I can simply wait it out? "… _reserved only for those closest to themselves…_ " What? Did I miss—oh that's right. " _…not all can feel the gentle caress…_ "

            " _Hey, lecture over. Bad, I get it._ " I glare at the back of his head.

            " _Do you not have clothes?_ " His head tilts back and in my direction, a smirk is on his face. " _And I'm not sure that you do, Marel. Many of my household told tales that I do not care for._ " The book snaps shut. I swallow at the look on his face. " _Not when I believe I made my intentions toward you clear._ "

            " _As crystal_." And it's creepy. " _And no._ "

            " _No what?_ " He asks as he walks closer, his voice but a whisper.

            " _Clothes._ " My voice is entirely too high for my liking.

            " _Would you like me to remedy that?_ " I yank my head back around the barrier between me and him. That blasted chuckle fills the room as he continues walking forward. " _Marel?_ " He prompts as he stops, one more step and there would be nothing between the two of us.

            Solas' shadow is large across the thin paper like substance that is decorated with flowers and stars. I stare at it for a moment, debating. If he wasn't going to leave I couldn't stay naked. I need clothes.

            " _Of course, if you wish to remain as such, I will not protest._ "

            An indignant squeak escapes my lips. His voice… no one should be able to say things like that.

            " _Just…_ " I sigh and run fingers through tangled hair, " _Please._ "

            " _Be specific._ " His fingers curl around the edges of frame. I suck in a rushed breath as I watch his shadow rock forward.

            " _Clothes._ " I reiterate. _Oh, well done brain. Marvelous job_. "C-could you get me-" _And I stopped speaking the right **language!**_ I try again, he is still moving forward. How he hasn't come around the corner yet I have no freaking clue, " _Could you get me clothes? From the wardrobe. Across the room. And no come back here._ "

            " _Not? Not come back here?_ " He corrects and I flush. Oh my globules…

            " _That. Yes._ " Succinct and to the point, and all my brain can muster at the moment. If he wasn't so close I'm sure I would have missed the sigh he lets go.

            " _As you say._ " Those three words are laced with such disappointment. My stomach feels like it has dropped out my ass and I am tingly all over. Which is ridiculous, words shouldn't reduce me to a babbling puddle.

            _But that voice…_

            And _that_ voice in my head needs to go away. He is holding me captive in his house. This isn't going to be-

            " _Your clothes, my heart_." His hand is the only thing that is around the corner. Did he just-? My lips twitch as I take in the dress-shift-thing. Is he really-?

            " _Do you really expect me to wear that?_ "

            " _If there is a problem with it, you are free to pick your own._ "

            Shaking my head I snatch the scrap of cloth out of his hand. Dropping the towel I slip into it. And it really is a _slip_. Something that would go under clothes, even back on Earth women didn't wear this little clothing. I wasn't even aware something like this was _in_ my wardrobe. Grabbing the edges of the bottom I try and pull it down farther. The straps bite into my shoulders. Giving a dark sigh I step around the screen and almost walk right into him.

            " _You're doing this on purpose._ " I accuse as I reel backwards and almost fall.

            He laughs as his hand comes out to steady me. I'm grateful because there was no way I was going down gracefully or without showing something important. His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath.

            " _Perhaps,_ " he pulls me close and wraps an arm around my shoulders holding me in place. " _I never thought to hold you again. The very idea you are here is intoxicating._ " Pressing a kiss to the top of my head he lets me go. " _Have you eaten?_ "

            Not even waiting for my response he walks out the door. My breath slams out of me as I bolt across the room and fling open the doors to my little closet. That discussion did not go as I had planned. Though it is difficult when he barges into the room and I'm in the bath. Of all times. I honestly should have known better.

            What I had wanted was to demand my freedom, learn about my past since he seems to know more about me then I do. To find out whom this Marel person was, who _I_ had been, and who my family is. If any of them are still alive. Find out if he is actually going to help me or just keep me in here. If it's the latter I may need to break the whole building just to get out. The barrier didn't stop my influence from leaving the room, just my physical form. I would probably have to wait until he left again.

            Pulling out normal attire I start to dress. Going from one extreme to another. Long pants and a sweater that leaves everything to the imagination. It's baggy and hangs down to the middle of my thighs. He's coming back, with food.

            Glancing out the hole that Lyko uses I see that the sun is still high in the sky. She won't be back for hours yet. If she even comes back tonight. Sometimes she would take days to roam, getting her fill of life before returning. It was normal for the two of us. We may have been bound together but I did not control every portion of her life. She was a dragon after all and they were the embodiment of freedom. She would come back and neither of us would pry into what the other was doing.

            Walking over to a small vanity I pick up a brush and start to pull it through my hair, fingers following where the bristles went. It's one of those horse hair ones, or in this case probably halla or hart. I miss the stiff ones, took less effort to do this.

            The door opens again and Solas walks into the room, a tray over flowing with food. He pauses for a moment to take in the new clothing. The smells coming off of it are divine. Even from the position of the bed I can see the steam curling off of the plates. As he walks forward the door closes without any outward force. I raise an eyebrow as he settles down next to me and places the tray between the two of us.

            " _A wide variety of food_." I comment as I take it all in. There are several cuts of meat, apples, grapes and oranges set to the side. Sandwiches with thick bread and its toasted. Pancakes smothered in honey, eggs and ham, toast on the corner of one plate that looks like it has cinnamon sprinkled on top. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

            " _I was not sure what you desired, so I brought a little of everything._ " He lifts a grape to mouth and indicates that I should get what I want.

            " _You can't buy me with food._ " I reply, not moving a muscle.

            " _That is not my intent, I assure you_."

            I clench my hands and hide them in the folds of the sweater. The movement is not lost on the man before me. " _Who am I?_ "

            " _Marel._ " He picks up a slice of meat and gives me a strange look.

            " _Sorry, who **was** I? Because I can't remember._ " I stand, taking the brush with me, and start to pace. " _You, Neri, those goons with the red tattoos… all of you know something about me and no one is coughing up the information! Even Senna knows something but she won't tell me_." When I turn around on my third pass he is behind me. " _Lyko told me what I was to you, but I don't remember._ _I'm not that person anymore._ " He tilts his head at me and takes the brush out of my hand. " _People have a way of changing over time. Events shape their world; they wake each morning a little different. My life has been nothing but one huge struggle for the last four decades. I adapt, I change, I survive. I-_ "

            " _Calm my love._ " He whispers, pulling my hand away from my wrist. There he goes again with endearments. Glancing down I see that there are little bloody crescents in my flesh. Passing his hand over the small wounds they mend. " _You are you. Events have changed you, yes. You have experienced things you should not have. Power should have never been approached to deal with your situation._ " I tuck my head at the name of a spirit. Gently he directs me back to the bed and he starts to speak.

            " _You were born to loving parents, the youngest of three. You have two older brothers, though you would not recognize them anymore if you could remember your past. Perhaps it is a blessing that you don't. Your mother is, by far, the only one who retains a semblance of what they were supposed to represent. Your father has all but descended into madness._ " He plucks the plate of pancakes and sets it on my lap. " _I will tell you everything in time._ " I open my mouth and he holds up a hand. " _You've operated this long without knowing. There is a danger in knowing where you come from. For now I am working to keep your name hidden. Too many will use you to their own ends. All I ask is a little time to train you and offer help in any way you desire._ " The brush starts to thread through my hair. I look down at the plate and cut off a small portion before lifting it to my mouth. " _And what is time to us? When we have eternity._ "

            " _You truly intend to teach me to fight?_ "

            " _Not just fight. I will teach you the subtle acts of moving through this world. The art of gathering information. Anything you wish to learn will be laid at your feet._ "

            " _And I will not be captive in this room?_ " He grunts and doesn't answer. " _I will **not** be a prisoner._ "

            " _In time-_ "

            " _No in time bullshit!_ " I snarl as I stand and turn to him. " _People are not meant to be caged Solas. I will have patience, but I cannot stay in here._ " Jabbing my finger into his chest I advance. " _You claim to love me, **me** who you do not know. Show me. Let me out._ "

            " _If you leave-_ "

            " _Trust. What you want from me,_ " I indicate between the two of us, " _this weird shit you're pulling. This alpha wolf crap, pissing in my direction hoping that I'll get the hint. It stops. Trust me. If you had done that back when were tied to that effing tree all of this could have been avoided!_ _I wouldn't have left in the first place._ "

            " _'Alpha wolf"?_ " He raises one of his eyebrows and I press it back down with a finger.

            " _Yes, don't play stupid it's unbecoming._ " He tilts his face into my hand, his own coming up to cover mine as it presses into his cheek. " _I came to you twice, once for protection which I don't need anymore. This time I'm coming to you for help, which I do need. Stop locking me away because if this continues I'll bolt. I can't be anything but myself._ "

            " _Even in this… you are more like your old self then you know._ " With a sigh his eyes flash blue. " _Done._ "

            Slowly I let my 'soul' out and feel around. When I don't sense that barrier I stride to the door and kick a leg out. It passes with no effort. " _Thank you._ " I close the door and walk back to him. " _I am obviously out of my depth here. Last week's debacle proves as much. I can't take on the Evanuris and free our people if I can't even take you in a fight._ " Mood improving rapidly I slice off another chunk of the pancakes, moaning when they touch my tongue. " _Freaking heaven. I miss real food. Not just meat that is riddled with holes because Lyko has no restraint._ "

            I sit on the bed and indicate his original spot with the tip of my fork. Lifting an apple I crunch into it with a zeal that I haven't had for a long time.

            He sits and picks up the plate of eggs and ham.

            " _So we were what… married?_ " I ask as he takes a bite. He gives me a look as he swallows.

            " _Married?_ "

            " _Yeah, you said that I was your 'one love'_." I take another bite of the apple before setting it on the edge of my plate. " _Or I should say Lyko said, because I wasn't actually conscious for that talk. Strong alcohol_."

            " _And what else did your dragon say?_ "

            " _That according to you we loved each other very much,_ " I look at him, not hard to see the appeal. He's attractive, attentive, he obviously cares or I wouldn't be able to leave the room now. He is intelligent, and if he is looking to save our people as well it's a major thing we have in common. " _That I have some ability to control animals, which believe you me she was not happy about. We argued over it for days. Somehow she thinks that I was controlling her, which is utterly absurd. As if someone can control a dragon. They breathe all sorts of elements._ " I jab my fork in his direction, " _Upset a delicate balance you did. She almost ate me._ "

            He laughs as he stretches out, " _That dragon adores you. She isn't about to end your life._ " I shift my head to look at him. Setting his empty plate down his hand comes out and caresses the back of my knuckles.

            " _I want something sweet_." I declare as I stand up, completely unsettled by his casual touch. " _Pancakes are nice, but you know what would be good?_ " My will floats the plate to the tray and lifts up the whole thing. " _Chocolate. Is that a thing here?_ " Starting toward the door I look back at him. " _Coming?_ "

            " _And what of your dragon?_ "

            " _She probably isn't returning tonight, so it's no biggie._ " I call out to him as I take my first step outside the room. " _And the room isn't trashed so it's not like she is going to assume the worst._ "

            " _Something changed._ " He comments as he takes longer strides to catch up.

            " _You did._ " I reply as I look over my shoulder.

 

Turns out they do have chocolate. But it's unsweetened. There is nothing like finding that rich color tucked away in a dark corner of their larder and taking a bite of bitter, nasty chalky like chocolate. It was almost enough to put me off the stuff for good.

            "How do you guys eat this?" I comment as I walk out of the pantry. Solas had dismissed the kitchen crew so it's just the two of us. A lot of his staff had dwindled since the last time I was here.

            Solas gives me a blank look and I realize that I'm speaking English, not Elvhen.

            " _Its nasty._ _What do you use it for?_ " I shake my head as I pull out several pans and start taking over the space. Flour, sugar, butter, and milk already have their own spots.

            " _I'm not entirely sure._ " He lifts the chunk I managed to break off and lifts it to his nose. " _If it offends what is the purpose of using it in making_ cupcakes _._ " His lips form around the word as if it's strange. Which I suppose it is to him.

            " _You guys have all the time in the world and **no one** has toyed with the delicious goodness that can come from this?_ " I roll my eyes for emphasis, " _I'm ashamed of you._ _You should be too_." He goes to take a bite and I'm too slow to stop him.

            Solas goes green in the face and spins around to spit it out in a nearby rag.

            " _There cannot be a way to make that edible._ " Using one finger he pushes the slab of coco away from him.

            " _You lack vision_." I smile at him. It's strange having him this close, being in the room with him. But I should get used to it while I can, because from the way Lyko said he acted, he isn't going away any time soon. And it is endearing in the I-want-to-wear-your-skin kind of way. At least he isn't walking around smelling my hair. " _Alright, I want you to melt it_ -" Fire flashes in the room and we now have a chocolate puddle instead of a brick. I stare at it as it oozes its way across the counter top before plopping off and onto the floor. " _Not…_ " I sigh and pinch my nose, " _what I meant._ "

            Walking back into the pantry I come out with more.

            " _This time, in a bowl. Over boiling water._ "

            It takes a few hours but we manage somehow.

            _Somehow!_

            The man has never cooked a day in his life and it shows. The first attempt at melting the chocolate fails completely. I don't know how he did it, but he managed to burn it. I give more specific instructions and he approaches slowly with the bowl, smears of the gooey substance on his face and the back of his hands. Laughter will not be suppressed. Slowly we add sugar until both he and I are satisfied, tossing in a little milk and butter. His face lightens when he tastes the finished product.

            " _And this is an_ Earth _dish?_ " He inquires as he lifts another spoonful to his mouth. " _You say it comes from a bean?_ "

            I laugh and pull the bowl away from him. " _Yes, it originated in_ Central America _as_ cocoa _. I'm not sure what the word for it here would be._ " Moving around the kitchen I look for the other ingredients and going purely on memory as I start to mix things together.

            " _Why have we not done something with this yet?_ " He asks as he comes around, following the bowl.

            " _If you eat it all we cannot have chocolate cake._ " I chide as I move it to the other side of me. He stills as he thinks it over, a smile that makes me think he is up to no good crosses his face. Resolving to keep an eye on the chocolate and him I add a little to the bowl, pausing every so often to make sure that it is coming out right.

            When the mixture is finished I start to look for a pan. Any pan will do. That is when I realize that these people don't bake very often. Because they have everything but the pans that I desire. They have sheets and racks, pans and pots, bowls and plates but _no_ cake pans. I lose hope quickly of having cupcakes and will take anything I can get at the moment.

            " _What are we looking for?_ " He asks as he crouches next to me, his gaze intently on the space before me.

            " _Anything to cook that in_." I point up and behind me. " _Well actually… a round pan about half a finger deep and a hand span and a half across._ "

            Magic pulls in the air and I turn to look at him.

            " _Will this suffice?_ " He holds it out to me. My brows pull down as I take the pan from his hands.

            " _Where…?_ "

            " _I am unsure of where to find something like that in… this._ " He gestures around to the room, " _It is simple really._ "

            " _You're teaching me that trick._ " I comment as I stand and pour the contents into the newly made pan. Walking over to the oven I pop it in. " _And now we experiment._ " Spinning I see that he has the chocolate bowl in his hands. " _We still need that_."

            With a sigh he puts it back down and steps back. Taking in his hunched shoulders I shake my head and pour a little onto a plate before adding a touch of frost.

            " _Here._ "

            And then I make frosting while checking frequently on the cake. The oven doesn't have dials so it's not like I can preheat to a certain degree and set a timer. It's fueled by stones that have been enchanted with a heating rune.

            Solas pours us a glass of wine. Grabbing a spoon I dip it into the icing and hop onto the counter, settling down with my legs dangling over the edge.

            " _Would you like to learn now?_ " He questions as he slides closer. Lifting my glass to my cheek I regard him out of the corner of my eye.

            " _Now is as good as time as any I suppose,_ " taking a sip I nudge him with my leg and prompt him to start talking.

            " _For the People, magic is as easy as breathing. Some spells are simple, while others can take decades to cast._ " He twirls the wine glass between his fingers while looking intently at it, in the center a small image forms. A tree with white leaves, its stunning against the red of the wine. " _It is about control, adding too much of your being into the spell and it will explode._ " He sets it down on the counter, his gaze intensifies and it shatters inside a little bubble. " _To little,_ " he turns to mine and taps a finger against mine. The tree flashes to life before fizzling out and taking the wine with it.

            " _I was still drinking that._ " I comment drily as I set the glass down, impressed with the little display. A slight chuckle pulls from his lips and he indicates the bottle. It lifts into the air, floating over and refills my glass. " _Handy_. _But that doesn't tell me how to create objects._ "

            Solas' hands go around my waist and he lifts me from the counter. Setting me down in front of him he turns me around; head dipping next to my ear he starts to whisper. " _Close your eyes._ " I follow his instructions. " _Imagine something in your mind. An object you are familiar with. Picture it, the details. Is it soft? Hard? Smooth? Rough? Feel the texture of it beneath your hands. How does it smell? Is it sweet? Bitter? Spicy?_ "

            Jeans. Something that I missed, universal. They went with everything, nice top your business casual; grungy t-shirt and it's the bar scene. I imagine the unique feel, the little divots, the color, the smell of the cloth, how the zipper sounds when it slides up. How an excellent pair hugged tightly but flared out at the ankles, giving room for either tennis shoes or a nice pair of ass kicking boots.

            " _Do you have it?_ " When I nod he lifts my hands and places them on the counter, his covering mine. " _Good, now hold it in your mind. Find the magic in you, and breathe life into your image. Don't just feel it in your mind, but under your hands._ "

            There is a little pull, like my stomach is moving sideways but my body stays in the same spot.

            " _Open your eyes._ " Satisfaction is in his voice. And I realize why. When I open them my hands are clenching a dark blue pair of pants.

            " _Holy shit._ " I gasp as I lift them. " _Can I do this? With anything?_ " I start to think of the possibilities. All my vices can be here. I could have anything I wanted.

            " _I do not recommend doing it with consumables._ " At the sound of his voice I turn my head toward him. His nose is wrinkled. " _It does not come out right. Magic is not made to be eaten._ " His eyes go distant for a moment and I really don't want to know what happened. " _But otherwise, yes. Most inanimate objects can be recreated._ "

            That was limiting, but it would be nice to have clothes or other objects from Earth.

            My back is suddenly cold as he rocks away from me and moves around the island to check on the cake. I smile, wondering what life would have been like if I had never left this place.

            " _So, you never answered my question._ " He looks up from his chocolate bar. Surprise fills me that he hasn't eaten it already. I know he knows what I'm talking about but is going to make me say it. " _Married?_ " I prompt.

            " _Ah,_ " he takes a bite as he moves around the counter closing the distance between us again. " _You seem to fixate on that. Would it be a problem if we were?_ "

            " _Not particularly, I mean… people with amnesia find out that they are married and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. But I didn't meet you for almost twenty years my time, three thousand yours. I'm just wondering if I've lived a life of sin._ "

            He catches my meaning immediately and is upon me before I can blink. Pulling me to him he presses his nose into the crook of my neck and inhales deeply.

            " _Uh…_ " my mind blanks. Just like that a switch flips inside me, and in his behavior. I know it is going to take time for him to knock this shit off, but it's a little disappointing after the nice afternoon we've had.

            " _You have not lain with another._ " He growls, the desperation is evident in his voice and when he looks at me I can see that the words were meant to come out as a plea.

            " _Have you?_ " I counter as I slide out from his grasp.

            " _That is not relevant._ "

            " _Nu-uh. If you slept with people while we were married why does it matter if I did?_ "

            " _We are not debating my endeavors._ " He follows me, " _We are talking about you._ "

            " _I'm debating them_."

            " _Woman…_ " he growls.

            " _Just answer the question and I'll tell you!_ " I snarl right back. Why does everything have to be complicated with him?

            " _Yes._ "

            " _Yes. See, was that hard?_ " I twist and open the oven. " _Wait…_ " I snap up and turn back around, " _Yes we were married or yes you slept with people._ "

            " _No, yes._ "

            " _I_ … _we weren't married?_ "

            " _No._ "

            " _Well then, you were free to sleep with whoever you want. Still are._ " I slip the pan out of the oven and tap a finger to it, willing it to cool because I am tired of waiting and I need to get out of this kitchen and the damned territorial elf.

            " _Still? No, there will be no other._ "

            I can't look at him. Not when he talks like that. Like he's already won. Like I'm a possession. Like he fucking owns me. My movements are jerky as I spread the icing around. He remains quiet.

            Shoving the iced cake toward him I turn and walk out of the kitchen with my jeans in hand.

            " _Enjoy the sweets._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a typo in here while writing and I noticed it while proof reading. I ran with it and added some extra dialogue around it. I think it flows, can you tell what it is?


	9. At the Mercy of Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the absence. Writers block combined with personal health sucks. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 9

 

Glancing around my room I debate on what to do. The door is promptly locked when I enter the room, not that it will do much good. If he wanted in he was going to get in. His presence is still knocking around the kitchen.

            **Emma?** Lyko asks as she enters the room. The wind from her wings creates a current that shifts the books and the furs on the bed. Her nose comes out to inspect me. **You smell like him**.

            "I'm not surprised." I grumble as I lean into her snout and wrap my arms around her. "You came back."

            I had been scared she wouldn't. I hadn't been joking when I told Wolf boy that we had gotten into an argument. The thought that any of my actions had ever held Lyko to me… Friend. I wanted her to be my friend, because she wanted to be here. With me. Not because of some stupid mumbo-jumbo crap I was born with. That she might disappear from my life had been a real, threatening possibility that would reduce me to tears.

            **Of course I came back Emma. I am yours and you are _mine_.** Laughing I wipe my tear with the palm of my hand.

            "Oh not you too with this 'mine' business." Pressing a kiss to her scales I change the subject before she can get wounded at me. "I can leave. The barrier is gone."

            **Are we…?**

            "No, as much as I would like to we need to stay." I glance through the floor before pulling out a stolen piece of chocolate. Nibbling on the edge I lift the rest to her. Her jaws open slightly and I drop it in.

            **What is this?**

            "Chocolate."

            **More. I desire more. I like this very much.**

            "I can make some… later okay?"

            **What happened?**

            "Nothing, I could just really use an outing." Walking toward her door I look outside. "Are you tired?"

            In answer she rushes from the room, her wings flaring wide once she is out and she flaps twice to steady herself in the air. Lyko holds out a claw for me and I step into the palm of her hand. My arms instinctually go around her arm as she turns and lifts us further into the atmosphere. Lifting her claw she propels me onto her back.

            Elation fills me as we wheel off into the setting sun. I have no idea where we are going, and there isn't a thought in my head as the wind whips through my hair. Wrapping the chain around my fist I plant my feet. Lyko, feeling this, climbs higher before rolling. Her wings are tucked tightly to her sides as we drop toward the ground. My foot braces against one of her spines as I lean back and we go completely vertical.

            **I found something you'll like.** She whispers to me, her wings snap out to stop the descent and turns to the left slightly, **How long has it been?**

            Raising one eyebrow at her I gaze at the back of her head. How long has what been?

            "Lyko?" I ask as I look around. All I see is forest, and more forest. In the distance there are spiraling crystal towers twining above the tree tops. That can't be what she is talking about. We stay away from civilization on principles. She's a dragon, people see her as a destructive force of nature, which technically she is. Technically I'll put my boot up anyone's ass who tries to harm her.

            Or I'll try.

            She remains silent as she continues north. As we travel farther and farther away the humidity in the air rises as does the temperature. Slowly the smell of…

            "Salt." I whisper, perking up. Dropping the chain I crawl up her neck to see over her head easier. Settling just behind her head I grab both horns with my hands and stare at the beautiful thing rolling out before me. "You… you sneaky dragon." I choke out, tears clogging my throat. "How long?"

            **Does it matter?**

            "No." I lay my chest against her head and stare at the ocean that stretches as far as the eye can see in all direction. "No, it doesn't."

            She surges forward, feeling my excitement. Slowly the trees fade away. At first they just thin until there is no more, and it's just sand that fills the space around us. Slowing she give a few mighty beats of her wings before touching down.

            Quickly lifting the large sweater from my body I slide off the side of my dragon. Once my feet hit the ground so do my pants. Pulling on the essence inside of myself I pull a board into existence and run toward the shore line. Grateful that Wolf boy taught me this trick.

            Lyko lifts her snout behind me and roars into the fading light. Laughing I wade into the water, running as far as I can before throwing the board in front of me and climbing on top. My arms sweep through the water and they carry me deeper into the body of water. Going out far enough where the waves curl in on themselves, creating barrels that I long to be a part of.

            Pressing the board into the water I swim under one, breathing out as I start to surface on the other side of the wave. The water is frigid on my bare skin causing me to bring forth the heat that kept me alive on the mountain side.

            I do the same with the next three waves. Waiting to get out far enough that I won't crash into any coral that may lurk beneath the surface. The next one though… the next one is my ride.

            It's a monster. The world falls away bit by bit as it looms closer to me. Steadying my breath I paddle into it. The sound of my heart thrumming away is loud in my ears. Its pounding a heady rhythm against the inside of my chest, and I can feel it all the way to my toes. There is nothing, but me and the ocean. But I remember the lessons I learned so long ago. Respect the water, or she'll rip you a new one. Nature is fierce; there is no ref to call a time out, no compassion. She won't care if she drags me under and rips the breath from my lungs. I am nothing to her.

            Holding my breath I crest the top of it and turn to stand on the board. The feel of it under my feet screams _right_. I lean forward; feet planted, and press into the wave. A roar of joy fills the air as I glide down the surface of the water. My torso leans back and forth as I follow the lead of the wave, curving back on myself I slow slightly. Listening to the prompts of the mother I slice my way across the ocean. Behind me is nothing but white. A smile crosses my face as it starts to cascade around me. Leaning forward I rock up the wave again before pressing down.

            A cry of distress comes from the shore, but I pay it no mind. I need to stay here, in the now. White encompasses my world, becomes my past, present, and future. There is nothing but this moment, and in this moment I am alive. A sense of freedom I haven't felt in so long steals across my soul and I let a scream of happiness come forth. Snapping the back side of the board I turn straight and ride out of the frothing bubbles that surround me. They pelt me, little needles against my skin; stinging each and every one. But I am alive. Each breath brings me closer to completion.

            That waves melt into each other until I feel there is no beginning or end. It is a timeless moment. The sun sets and rises and sets again while I stay out there. The moon slowly changes shapes and the stars crawl across the sky. Endless. It is endless and I never want to let it go.

            Eventually though I come to myself. The world takes on shape beyond the waves. My mind clears and looking at the shore I see a dragon that waits with utter patience for me to return. Slamming into the here and now my body cramps. Muscles that haven't been used in decades tense. Forcing them to comply for a moment longer I start for the shallows. Agony crawls up my arms as I've pushed too far for too long. But the feeling is amazing. The pull of my body straining, nothing but me and the world.

            _I cannot stay here_. The thought is full of sadness. Once I could have been content here. But no longer. Once this could have been my world. But not anymore. There was a larger existence for me out there. One that I could not ignore. It was a deep seeded feeling that started in the pit of my soul and wrenched its way up into my heart. I was needed, and it hurt to acknowledge.

            A mission. Stop the Evanuris from destroying the world and free The People. To do that I need friends. To make those I need to leave. I could come back and indulge once everything was over. Eternity lay before me. This could be my world again, once they were safe. A duty, one that I cannot ignore.

            Slumping of the board I groan into the shifting sand under me. Lyko approaches and nudges me with her nose before curling her form around mine, her wing coming out to shelter me from the world.

            **I have never seen anything like that in all my days.** She speaks gently as she stares out at the water. I peek at her face before rolling into her. **I thought I lost you to the ocean. What pulled you back to me Emma?**

            "It isn't enough anymore." I whisper to her. "There is so much to do Lyko and I cannot hide out here. This… I want more now."

            **You were happy out there. I felt it as keenly as you did.** Her head swivels until her large orb is level with my face. **A change is taking you; a path is laid before your feet. Will you walk it willingly? Give yourself completely to a cause that may claim your life?**

            "If a few won't stand for the many it's not a world I want to live in." I struggle to my knees and lean against her front leg. "Everyone deserves freedom. It isn't a choice for me Lyko." I scoff as the water laps over the tips of my knees. "It is more of a demand, one that I must answer if I am going to be true to who I am. It doesn't matter where I am, or what I am doing this feeling will always be here."

            Pressing my back against her I slowly work my way up and crawl onto her back. Her nose comes out and presses to the bottom of my foot helping me.

            "Everyone should feel what I feel out there." I speak as she starts to climb into the air, "I can't pretend to know what slavery is like, I've never lived my life in it. I won't even be able to imagine with accuracy, but… it is an abomination that must end."

            Slowly we turn back toward the manor.

            "How long?"

            **Two weeks.**

            "Man he is going to be so pissed…"

            She laughs as I thump my head into her hard scales.

            **Sleep Emma, I will wake you when we arrive.**

            The last thing I remember is slumping over and the wind catching my hair, lifting it into the air behind me. Shivering I succumb to the inevitable and fall into a deep sleep.

 

" _Is she alright?_ " Hunching in on myself I groan and wave away the voice.

            "Five more minutes."

            Ice hits my bare skin and I shriek. My body slams straight as I flail around in attempt to escape the assault. Two sets of laughter fill the room. Rolling off the back of the dragon I hit the floor and groan as pain envelops me.

            "You bitch."

            **I never said it would be a pleasant waking.**

            "You'd think I'd learn by now."

            Senna comes into my line of sight and holds out a robe to me. Grabbing it I let my head thump back onto the floor.

            " _My lady, are you alright?_ " Mirth dances in her eyes and a hand suppresses what I suspect is laughter.

            " _I can hardly move, but I am well._ " I comment as I hold out a hand to her. She takes it and when I tug she helps me to my feet. Slipping into the robe I look around. " _No Wolf? Huh…_ "

            " _He did not believe you wanted to see him. Not after the way… you left._ "

            " _Hey I didn't write a cryptic message on the mirror right? I came back._ " I huff as I walk on wobbly legs toward the bed.

            " _My lady?_ "

            " _Nothing Senna._ " I sigh as I flop over. " _Is there some sort of magical cure for sore muscles?_ "

            **You earned every bit.** Lyko chides, **Asinine behavior should not be rewarded.**

            "Love you too." I state drily as Senna looks between the two of us. " _Cranky dragon will be cranky._ "

            " _If you would like I can… there is a steam room in the lower levels. That will help with the recovery process and I can have a tonic made to relieve you of the pain._ " She pauses for a moment as she looks at me. " _Are you able to move?_ "

            " _I will crawl if I have to._ "

            **The Wolf can carry yo-**

            "No." I growl. "Possessive ass will think I'm submitting to him or something."

            " _Lady?_ "

            " _Yes?_ " My body aches at the thought of moving. Without giving myself much time to contemplate it I rock out of the bed again and roll to my feet. Placing a hand on my stomach as I hunch over myself. Oh god…

            Looking at Senna I wait for her to say something, anything. But she is just looking at me with an unknown emotion on her face. Shaking her head she reaches out and wraps an arm around my waist, drawing one of my arms over her shoulder. Slowly we start the shuffle from the room.

            The stairs present the most problems. Flat surfaces are easy, but stepping down? Forget it. Each and every one of them is taken at a pace that makes snails look fast. Senna is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, worry dancing in her eyes. Waving a hand toward her I take another step down. Leaning heavily on the banister I glare at the remaining two.

            " _I could get Dread Wolf fo-_ "

            " _Nope. I can make it._ "

            " _My lady-_ "

            " _Marel, please._ " I suck in a breath as I slide down another step. " _None of this lady-Ah!_ " My left leg cramps and I struggle to point the toe. When that doesn't work I place it firmly on the ground and flatten my foot. " _Bananas?_ " I huff out.

            " _Would you like something to eat? The kitchen is empty at this time but I'm sure-_ "

            " _Just bananas… potassium helps with cramping._ "

            " _Potassium?_ "

            " _Vitamins. Please just get bananas._ "

            " _Now? But-_ "

            " _Crawl. I will crawl if I have to. Won't get far._ " I gasp as I take the last step. " _Bananas first and then you can finish showing me to the steam room._ "

            Senna hurries off in search of food. It won't be instant relief but it will help. It's probably going to be days before I can move properly. I've never surfed for two weeks before. God, dumb. I am so dumb. Haven't touched a board in twenty six years and I go back to it like its mothers milk. Except the milk has been spiked with moonshine and knocked me on my ass to watch me flail around like a turtle on my back.

            Happy to be on a flat surface again I lean heavily on the wall, shoulder pressing into the wood that has been laid over wood. Gripping the edges of the robe together I start forward again feeling like I'm doing an excessive stint in a hospital ward. Pain crawls up my spine again as I twist around a corner.

            I have no idea where I'm going honestly. Making better time than I first expected I round another corner, hoping that I'm not going in circles. Senna quickly catches up to me, a whole bundle of fruit in her hands. Hastily she wraps an arm around my waist again and I lean on her instead of the wall.

            " _Perfect timing._ " I smile at her as she redirects us.

            Two more sets of stairs take us into the basement of the building. Three left turns, one right, and another left lead us to the underground bathing rooms. In the corner is a secluded room. That is the one she takes me too. She slides the door open and ushers me inside.

            " _Is there anything else I can get you?_ " Senna asks as she gently sets me down up on a bench and moves a bucket of water toward me. In the bucket is a ladle.

            " _I think I'll be okay._ " I smile at her again as I adjust on the bench. Holding out the bananas she gives me another worried look before closing the door behind her.

            Pealing one I take a bite and look at the ladle. Focusing on it I will it into the air full of water. The first attempt fails as the water splashes all over the floor. The second half of it makes it. On the third I am successful. Steam pours into the room, joining what is already there. The humidity is intense and cloying. Feels like I'm breathing in water it's so thick. But it helps.

            I shift just enough to work the robe off my shoulders and down to my waist. Sighing as the pain stops I dump another ladle full of water over the rocks.

            When I am wrinkly I stand and step away from the bench. The pain is still there, but it's slightly less. Working through the pain I start to stretch. At first just lifting my arms and rolling my shoulders, then I work out my neck. Inch by inch I loosen the muscles in my body until I can reach my toes, it's painful and I don't want to do it but I can touch them. Feeling that I've had enough time to sulk I reach out and find him.

            I told him that I couldn't be anything but myself. How is it fair of me to demand that he changes so quickly just to suit my needs? It isn't. He can only be himself, no more and I will accept no less. It's going to be hell on wheels to get him to trust me if I keep running off every time he gives me a little freedom. It was evident that he cared. On some level I feel that… I could as well. In for a penny in for a dollar. The long haul and it was going to be long. Things like I'm looking to change don't happen overnight.

            His response is slow. Tentative, like I'm going to flee again. Can't say that I blame him in the slightest. This time he isn't over powering, but gentle. It is no less intense than before. However it's like he is more aware of the effect he has on me. He takes his time approaching, I don't know why. I can't say it isn't comforting that he's backed off a little and no longer coming at me like a hurricane demanding that I submit to him.

            When he finally arrives I'm a nervous wreck.

            " _You returned._ " Quiet. So quiet. A little hope splashed in for good measure.

            " _I told you I would, did I not?_ " I comment as I lift the robe off the bench.

            " _Where did you go?_ "

            " _To a place I once thought to call home_." From the corner of my eye I see that he stiffens at my words. " _Relax Solas; I'm speaking of the ocean._ "

            " _How is a body of water home?_ "

            Laughing I approach him slowly while shrugging into the robe. Valiantly he refuses to look down, keeping his eyes firmly on my face.

            " _Lots of places can be home. There is a saying back on_ Earth _. Home is where the heart is._ " I look at the cup in his hand, unnoticed until now. He shakes his head as he lifts it.

            " _Senna said she promised a tonic to help ease the pain you were in._ " Concern laces his tone as I take the cup from his hand. Taking a sip I realize it's the same drink Senna gave me for my hangover. Humming in a pleased manner I tip the cup up and drain it quickly.

            " _Just sore muscles. I haven't used several of them for a very long time._ " I wink at him as I move around him. " _I owe you an apology._ " His soul washes over me as if he is looking for something. " _It is not fair of me to demand you change, not when I ask that you allow me to act as I will. So… I will adapt._ " Holding out a hand toward him I bid him to follow me. His fingers encompass mine and I look down. He has pianist hands, long and dexterous. Gently he runs a thumb across the back of my knuckles.

            " _You changed._ " He comments as he steps past me, leading me from the bowels of his home. " _This time at the ocean, it allowed you to reflect on certain things I take it?_ "

            " _You are correct._ " He hums in interest and I continue, " _We are going to be around each other for a very long time Solas. It is best if we learn to get along with minimal fighting. For your house hold and my sanity._ "

            " _We are already compatible, my heart._ " I nod at his profile as he stops to look at me. " _It is simply a matter of re-learning old patterns. In your case, learning mine for the first time._ " He tugs me into him and wraps his arms around me. " _In my case, learning the new ones that you've picked up in your travels._ " I rest my head against his chest, feeling safe in his embrace. " _It is difficult for me. Before you left, you were hesitant and soft spoken. So against violence even in its most basic form. Now, you seem to be a budding force of nature; disrupting everything in your wake._ " Leaning back he looks me in the eyes. " _I will try to stop 'pissing in your direction hoping you'll get the hint'._ "

            " _I'm glad you actually listen to what I have to say._ " The little ache in my chest starts to recede, it doesn't vanish. I don't think it ever will. Too many little pieces of my soul have been left in different places, but I want to trust him. Some part of me pulls toward him and I think of my memory. " _Hey… did we ever run through a forest while you were a wolf?_ " My eyes flick between his, searching, waiting for an answer.

            " _Several times,_ " he nods and lifts a brow, " _why do you ask?_ "

            " _An old memory, from the before._ " I yawn into his chest, shaking my head a little. " _I guess I really did love you at one point._ "

            " _You remembered something?_ "

            " _Remembered it while I was back on_ Earth _. It was the reason I was on the beach when Little Max got into his car accident, why he came to check on me in the first place. Its probably the only reason I'm here right now._ "

            His arms tighten further around me. " _I am glad you remembered then._ "

            " _I don't think I'm much different than I was back then._ "

            " _Oh?_ "

            " _Yeah, I just think I was surrounded by pig headed people who thought they knew best. Mother was the only one that seemed to understand. She once told me that our auras reach for each other._ _Called me her 'little rebel' I think…_ "

            " _You remember your mother?_ "

            " _Not really, she wasn't part of that memory. I just thought of her while we ran through the forest._ "

            " _Did I catch you?_ "

            " _In your dreams._ " I thump a hand against his chest. " _I flung you to the side like a sack of potatoes._ "

            He chuckles and tilts my head up. " _I remember that one. You broke one of my ribs that day._ "

            " _Good! You probably deserved it._ "

            " _You did not finish the memory then?_ " His eyes fill with heat as he looks at me. When I shake my head he leans down. " _Well… let's just say it was very **satisfactory** when I finally caught you._ "

            " _Oh really?_ " My insides are squirming around and I can't help but glance toward his lips. I lick my own and when I look back into his eyes he's staring at mine. Hesitantly he leans down, until he is but a breath away.

            " _Shall I show you?_ " He whispers against my mouth, not quite touching but close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off of him. My heart is thumping inside my chest, and I squirm slightly against him.

            " _Are you offering me your services, or my memories?_ " I tease as I look up at him from my lashes.

            " _Perhaps one will prompt the other?_ "

            " _Let's find out._ "

            He closes the distance between us. The feel of his lips are soft, yet firm. One of his hands is cupping my head to his. When he nibbles on my bottom lip I groan against him. With a sigh I let him in and he growls in pleasure, walking the two of us backward until I'm pressed up against a wall. A jolt runs through me, heading straight for my core.

            Wrapping my arms around his neck I hoist myself up his body. His hands come down to support my weight, nudging my legs apart he steps into me. The feel of him… its… no words. His touch is like fire as he pulls the edges of my robe away and his hands find the skin hidden underneath. I can feel his length pressing into me, only the cloth of his pants separates us. Fisting my hand in his hair I tilt his head to gain deeper access, raking my teeth against his lip to elicit another moan from him. The sound is like a drug. I made him make that noise, that is a very heady thought.

            He rocks his hips against me, rolling them slowly. My own answer, moving in time with his. I moan into his mouth as he hits just the right spot. Through the kiss I can feel his smirk; he flicks his hips forward, hitting that same spot again. My hold on him tightens as he breaks away to press kisses to my jaw. When he reaches my throat he suckles at the crook of my neck, his fangs digging into the tender flesh he finds there. Groaning I tilt my head to give him greater access. Humming in pleasure he bites again, a lance of pain makes me gasp before he sooths the hurt with his tongue. Sliding his hands up my thighs he grips the juncture just under my haunches before he steps back.

            " _This is not…_ " he starts and he leans away. My head is spinning and I brace a hand against his chest. Holy shite. That was not fair at all. I look up at him, breath coming fast. He groans at the look on my face, and I wonder what is written across it. Without thinking I lean into him and press another kiss to his mouth. My hand slides down his back and settles on his waist as I roughly pull him into me. One of his hands comes up to brace against the wall as he pushes against me. Grinding against him earns me a wistful needy noise.

            Something inside me in screaming _yes_ over and over again. The wanting inside me vanishes, as if he is filling a section that I didn't even know was empty until this moment. Being around him always left a sense of fullness. This however, is something else entirely. More, I want more. The desire is so intense that its difficult to think past this moment and it is difficult to think _in_ this moment.

            A door creaks open and I break the kiss, sliding sideways I duck out from between him and the wall. His gaze follows me, passion etched into the contours of his face.

            " _This isn't over._ " He promises before he approaches and twitches the edges of my robe together. Deftly his fingers find the ties and he knots them together. I flush as he tilts my face up and plants a chaste kiss on my lips.

            That had probably been a mistake. I watch him with wide eyes as he turns to deal with the intrusion. His stance doesn't fool me though; it may fool who ever interrupted—I send up a silent thank you to whatever divine creature is looking down—us but not me. Solas' whole attention is still riveted to me. His magic caresses down the sides of my body making me weak in the knees. Leaning against the wall I place a hand over my face. I encouraged him, actually encouraged him.


	10. Smithing and Training

Slipping into the pair of jeans I constructed I prepare to leave the room. All I've had to eat for two weeks is bananas. My body is still hurting, despite the tonic/potion/draught thing that Senna so kindly gave to Solas for me.

            "Damn it all to hell…" I groan as I slowly move across the room for the door.

            Lyko laughs, the sound more of a coughing growl. Lifting my hand I flip her off.

            **You did this to yourself. Do not take it out on me.** Her tail lashes out and I grunt in pain as I roll away from the swipe.

            "A little sympathy is all I ask." I snipe at her as I close the door behind me.

            My intent is to stop by the kitchen to lift several cuts of meat, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of some sort of drink. Not really into reading labels at this moment. There has to be a person in this castle that can teach me to fight other than him. As soon as I enter the room I regret it instantly.

            Neri's eyes make contact with mine. Our faces mirror each other's; lips pulling up in a snarl, eyes narrowing. We even _growl_ at each other. Pointing a finger at her I bark. " _Stay_." The others in the kitchen whisper and look between the two of us. I block out their words, though still catch snippets.

            " _…looks mad…_ "

            " _…Neri would win…_ "

            " _…what happened?_ "

            Slipping into the pantry I gather several bits of food, listing to the snarl of my stomach when they swipe over a wheel of cheese. Cutting of a slice I fold it in with the meat and bread. The bottle goes under my arm.

            " _On second thought…_ " I pause as I walk past Neri. " _Who is the training person here?_ "

            " _My lady?_ " She grinds out between clenched teeth.

            " _You know… commander in charge or physical trainer…_ " I tilt my head as the word escapes me. " _Someone who will teach me to fight._ "

            Her eyes snap around the room and quickly everyone goes back to their appointed task. If I remember correctly she wields a mean spoon. What was that man's name…? I certainly hope he learned to season soup correctly.

            Dusting off her hands she indicates the door. I lift my chin, telling her to go first. This woman will not be behind me ever again. With a barely restrained sigh she starts forward. There is a limp to her walk that wasn't there before. So… Solas had done something to her after all. Disgust rolls through me. All because she let information slip.

            As soon as we are out of the kitchen she turns to me. In the bright light of the hallway I can see the fading bruises on her cheek, one of her eyes is slightly swollen.

            " _Did he do this?_ "

            " _I told you he would not be pleased._ "

            Grumbling I set down my food on a nearby table. Hands free I turn and press her face between my palms. She jerks back but I follow her.

            " _Stop._ " I command as I press healing magic into her skin. This is something that came easily to me. The first magic I remember doing ever.

            " _Dread Wolf will not-_ "

            " _You will tell me if he bothers you._ " I interrupt as I shake her head slightly. Her eyes close and she lets out a little whimper. My magic sinks deeper and I find the problem. One of her vertebra is chipped. My hands trail down, when they reach her shoulders I turn her around so her back is to me. Pressing my fingers into each consecutive one after that I look for anything else that may hurt. The rest seem to be intact, though there is some internal bruising. Not a lot I can do for that but I can speed up the process.

            Kneeling I dig fingers into her legs looking for the cause of her lip. Left shin has several fractures.

            " _Someone should have seen to this._ " I comment as I press a shoulder into her and lift her calf off the floor.

            " _'Tis punishment lass._ "

            " _It never should have been done in the first place._ " My face snaps up to her and I impress the importance of my words upon her. " _I'm serious Neri. If he tries this again and you don't come to me I will raise hell and create the biggest scene anyone has ever seen. It is not okay for him to react this way._ "

            " _We are at war._ "

            " _And you don't damage your assets when they can be of use to you._ " I counter. My gaze is like steel and when I stand I press the issue. " _You aren't even mine Neri. Yet when I hurt you I healed it, made sure that you were going to be whole, despite our unsavory history and dislike toward each other. This…_ " I indicate the injuries I just healed, " _This is not appropriate._ "

            She regards me silently for a moment before turning to face me completely. " _Take the second right, at the end of that hall will be a door. The man making the swords is the one you want._ " I lift an eyebrow as she starts past me. " _Thank you._ "

            Taking my food with me I nibble on it as I follow her instructions. When I open the door at the end of the hall a wave of heat overtakes me. Rocking back on my heels I take it all in. The room is dark, barely enough light to make out the depth of the room. Stones in the wall pulse slowly with a subtle brightness. The primary source comes from a forge in the corner, a large pair of bellows jutting out from one side. Continuing my sweep of the room I notice that there are several weapon and armor racks. Piles of ore that are yet to be refined. Tools litter benches as if discarded with little thought.

            _Ping…_

_Ping ping…_

Cracking open the bottle I kick the door shut and set in to wait. He knows I'm here. When the door opened his stance shifted, a subtle look in my direction. He chose not to acknowledge me.

            Tilting the bottle up I take a deep pull, pleased when it seems to be nothing more than this world's equivalent of beer. People here don't seem to want to drink water all that often, something about impurities. I have yet to convince any of them to simply _boil_ it before consumption.

            Walking over to a corner, intending to stay out of the way, I lean against it. After what seems like three hours I slide down and cross my legs.

            _Ping…_

_Ping ping…_

Lifting the blade he inspects his work, its glowing bright red. Setting it against the anvil again he returns to his hammering.

            Perhaps I should have brought a book? Or would that seem like _I_ was ignoring _him_? Shaking my head I lift the last bit of food and chew as I take in his form.

            White hair, sides of his head shaved three inches above where his ear meets his skull, several braids are woven into his tresses before they all converge and are bound into one large braid. When he turns to quench the blade in a trough of water I catch a glimpse of his face. Moss green tattoos are scrawled across his forehead and cheek bones.

            A sharp inhale causes his eyes to flash to me before returning to his task. Ignoring me again.

            He is a slave, to whom I don't know. If he is here he must not be any longer. One thing I am certain of is that Solas does not keep slaves. I don't know if he ever did, or if it is a recent development. Deciding to change tactics I stand and walk to the bellows. Without any preamble I start to pump them. Up. Down. Up. Down.

            My body aches at the prospect of work. Still he is silent. Actions speak louder than words. There is no way for me to convey that to me he is a person with words. At least, none that I possess. So I will work beside him. For however long it takes.

            Soon sweat beads my brow. I stop occasionally. I don't know what the proper temperature of the forge should be. Turning to the room I look for anything else that can be done. Walking to one of the benches I set to righting the mess. Organizing by similar tools. Hammers go together, tongs next to them. Rasps and files lay neatly next to each other. Waving a hand I make the dust vanish from the table tops. I hang several black smith aprons on hooks in one corner. When there is nothing left to straighten I pick up a rag and look for oil. Finding it hiding at the bottom of bin I pick up a piece of armor.

            By now my muscles are on fire but I do not utter any protests nor do I stop. Hands constantly making little circles as I work the oil into the leather bits before setting to polish the glittering golden armor. When I'm finished it shines. Hanging that up I pick up the next one. And the next. After all of them have been polished I go back to the forge and pump the bellows again.

            Up.

            Down.

            Up.

            Down.

            Up.

            Hours pass and I continue to do little things.

            Finally he turns to me and hands me a wet stone. Nodding I walk over to the weapon racks and start in on a two handed battle axe. Rhythmically I run the stone over the edge. His hand on mine stills my actions. He takes it from me and shows me how to do it properly. Still there are no words. Nodding at his instruction I take it back and start again.

            When my stomach rumbles I set the now sharpened blade back where I got it and tuck the stone into my back pocket. Walking out the door and back to the kitchens I load up a tray with food. Neri takes in my appearance. I am willing to bet all the gold in the world that I am covered in soot. My fingers are numb from the work. She nods at me once before holding several bottles giving me a tentative smile. Sighing I set the tray down and tuck two under one arm before lifting the tray again and shouldering the door open.

            " _Thank you_." I call out before it closes behind me.

            Going back into the room makes me want to cry. All I want is sleep. My years of training at a leisurely pace in the woods had not prepared me for constant labor. Lyko is right. Fat and complacent, though I will _never_ tell her that I agree with her. That dragon would be unbearable to live with.

            Nudging the door open with a boot I step back into the forge and set my burden down on a cleared patch. Picking up a plate covered in potatoes and meat I hand it to him, along with a bottle. Surprise raises his eyebrows but he accepts them gratefully. Together we sit next to each other.

            Still there are no words.

            When the food is finished I stand and take the stone out of my back pocket. A sword is in my hand. I lose myself as I slide the rock over the blade over and over again. My eyes start to slip closed. With a shake I attempt to wake myself. The man takes notice and walks over to me. Lifting the stone and the blade from my hands. Wordlessly he points to a door that I had over looked. Tilting my head at him, unsure of what he wants.

            He points again. When I stand and start toward the hidden room he follows me. Opening the door shows a little room with a wash basin and a bed. Pushing past me he pours water into the bin, when he dips a finger into it steam curls off the surface. Walking past me again he presses a rag into my hands.

            " _Sleep._ " He commands as he goes back to his job.

            _Ping…_

_Ping ping…_

            A small smile crosses my face. I got a word. With a groan I close the door and shamble over to the basin. Hurriedly I run the rag over my arms and face, ridding myself of the build-up of dirt, sweat, and oil. My fingers dig at the bindings that pin my hair to the top of my head. Shaking my head I rub fingers over a sore spot on at my crown. Finally I tug my shirt over my head and flop onto the bed.

            Within seconds I am asleep.

 

Every ounce of my body screams in protest when I roll over. Slapping a hand to my eyes I stumble from the bed, blindly groping for my shirt. Dressed I walk toward the door. When I emerge he is sitting on a stool. A pipe clenched between his callused hands. His eyes flash to a corner where food waits.

            Quickly I eat the meal, opening one of the bottles I brought in last night. Each moment is agony. When I am finished I turn back to him. He nods and moves to stand before the weapon racks. A glance over his shoulder invites me to join him. Lifting a sword he passes it to me before taking one of his own.

            My breath catches. I hadn't told him why I was here. Did someone else tell him? Did that mean that someone other than Neri knew where I was?

            Fuck.

            He adopts a stance. Shifting I do as well. He comes at me in a blur. Each swing of his sword is barely turned by my own. I'm constantly on the defensive. Keenly I am aware that I am outmatched here. This is nothing like fighting Battle. I know that spirit, its moves, its fighting style. I know nothing about this silent man before me.

            I don't know how long it goes on, though I am positive it is a pathetically short amount of time, but he has me on my back. The sword is slapped from my grasp, his pressed lightly to my throat. I swallow and meet his gaze. He steps back and points to my sword. Planting my hands I roll backward and scoop it up.

            " _Again_."

            This pattern continues. Each time I am thoroughly thrashed. Little lacerations are my reward when I am too slow. His breath never quickens, his movements are never rushed. The clash of our swords ring out. Slowly I learn his movements, his patterns. Just when I think I'm confident enough to go on the offensive he switches tactics.

            On and on we go. He teaches me different moves, then drills them into me. When I am at my limit and almost falling over when I stand again and again he calls a halt.

            " _You've a teacher._ " He states as he takes the sword from my hand and places both of them back onto the racks.

            " _Once, yes._ " I run a hand over the many wounds, my flesh mending with each pass.

            " _It shows._ " He looks at me critically. " _You wish to learn more?_ "

            " _Yes._ "

            " _Good. You'll need it._ " Pulling out the pipe again he winks and an ember is born, taking a deep breath it flares and catches. " _Get rest, come back tomorrow and we shall start._ " He turns away.

            " _What am I to call you?_ "  

            " _Abelas_."

            And what a shitty name that is. It means sorrow. An internal struggle is born in me. My face is schooled into an impassive mask. We are up to full conversations now and I don't want to blow it all to smithereens. Ducking my head I give him a slight bow before walking my stiff battered and aching body out of the smithy.

            " _He knows._ " Abelas states, the door is only cracked open now and I hesitate. " _Dread Wolf came by while you were asleep._ "

            " _He didn't do anything… did he?_ " Panic claws at my chest. He was very insistent that I was _his_ and he had a mild freak out when I had implied that I had been with other men. That he had found me while I was lying half _naked_ in another man's bed…

            " _Fret not. I am not his creature, but hers. He will not harm me because of his respect for her._ " He turns and picks up a hammer returning to his work. " _Tomorrow. Dawn_."

            And that wasn't cryptic in the slightest.

            "Damned elves and their riddles…" I grumble as I finish closing the door behind me.

           

Stifling a yawn I slip into a tight shirt, tugging the edges down over the snug breeches. Elvhen are apparently not fond of shoes because I cannot, for the life of me, find any. I suppose I could conjure some up but the jeans I made are already gone. Vanished back into the void from whence they came. Apparently near constant contact was required to keep the conjured objects in this world. So was it really worth it to keep conjuring them?

No. No it was not.

            "Shoeless it is…" I groan as I flip my hair into a loose floppy bun.

            Lyko lifts her snout to huff in my direction. I am completely with her on this one. It is entirely too early for me to be up and about. Both of our gazes are drawn to the hole in the wall, the sun is nowhere to be seen. She settles back down, her large orb blinking at me twice before she falls back into a deep slumber. Conscious of her I slowly creep from the room, my movements exaggerated in attempt to let sleeping dragons lie.

            When I open the door Wolf boy is standing on the other side; a tray of food held aloft in one hand, the other extended toward the door knob.

            _Ass wasn't even going to knock…._

            " _Good morning, my heart._ " Slapping a hand over his mouth I cast a glance over my shoulder, my dragon lets out a deep breath. I release my own and shove backward on his face before closing the door quietly behind me.

            " _Do you **have** a death wish?_ " I hiss as I prod him farther down the hall.

            " _Are you always this pleasant in the morning?_ " He counters. Jabbing him in the side with a finger only earns me a smile. " _Is that a yes?_ "

            " _What are you doing here?_ " He gives me a dry look before lowering the tray of food, an arched eyebrow clearly states 'isn't it obvious?'. " _Why are you always bringing me food?_ "

            " _It is my duty as your mate-_ "

            " _We aren't mated!_ " I growl as I continue to shove us down the hall and away from the sleeping bomb in the room. " _Don't go in unless it is about three hours after dawn._ " Slipping around him I work to conceal my aching muscles from his attention. Last night had been an interesting affair of me shoving him out of the room after he offered a massage. I had accepted, but when hands strayed he _had_ to go. " _Stop bringing me food._ "

            His hand comes out and grips my upper arm, spinning me into him. Before I can blink he has me pinned between him and the wall. I shift, not entirely unhappy, and try to squiggle away from the man looming over me. Patience is etched onto his face as he waits for me to accept the position. Rolling my eyes I huff at him and rest my head against the wall. It isn't uncomfortable. The way my body reacts is as if it is entirely expected of him. Like this is normal and my brain just doesn't know yet. Which _is_ uncomfortable.

            " _I will not._ " Solas' breath is hot on the side of my face, tickling my ear. " _If you are going to train, you need to eat._ " The tray is again brought to my attention. " _I will provide, especially if you are going to train with someone who is decidedly **not** me._ "

            Lifting a hand I maneuver it delicately around the tray, arm curling under his to go over the side farthest from me. Hastily I sweep my eyes over the food, delighted— _ugh_ —by the fact that there seems to be bananas on _everything_. Someone was receiving reports from a certain female. Slightly touched that he has gone through the effort to ferret out my reasoning for the sudden intake of the fruit.

            He hums in approval when I pluck a bowl that is full of fruit—apples, bananas, oranges, kiwi, and raspberries—and lift it from the tray. The vibration of the noise travels from his chest to mine. Placing a kiss on the tip of my ear, which causes me to shiver and a pulse of warmth to shoot through me, he rocks back and allows me to go free. Quickly I snatch a spoon off the tray. Together we start down the hallway as I dig into the meal that is all but forced upon me.

            " _So… how long do you intend to hide me from the world?_ " I ask between bites of food. Groaning slightly at the taste of the mixed fruit.

            " _Until I am confident nothing can take you from me again._ " He responds, his free hand circling my waist and pulling me to him. Our steps never falter, his movements changing to accommodate my pace.

            " _And what, dare I ask, would make you confident of that?_ " My spoon scrapes against the bottom of the bowl to gather the left over juice. The tray is held before me again and I delicately place the now empty dish onto it. When it remains I look up at him, his face is trained forward but one of his eyebrows rises in challenge. He pulls us to a stop and waits. Grumbling under my breath I look at the tray again, seeking out another thing that will satisfy him. Just how much does he intend for me to eat?

            My eyes finally settle on a piece of toast with some sort of butter spread over it topped with half a banana and cinnamon. Deft fingers pick it up and I take an obnoxiously large bite from the corner while glaring at him. He nods in satisfaction and starts us forward again.

            " _When you are capable of defeating me._ " He answers. I snort. The action causing aforementioned stupidly large bite to shoot itself awkwardly into my throat. My hand comes up to cover my mouth as I cough hard enough to dislodge it. A scraping feeling ensues as the bread continues its slide down my throat. " _Which may be a long while, my heart, considering you were almost done in by a piece of toast._ "

            Gasping for air I jab my fingers into his side again, this time it is hard enough to earn me a small grunt of pain. Tears pull at the corners of my eyes as I swallow again in attempt to soothe the pain in my throat.

            Before long we arrive outside the smithy. A slightly sounding feral noise escapes him; the sound is soft but undeniably there. His arm finally leaves my waist. Plucking the cup off the tray he passes it to me. The sweet scent of the pain reliever reaches my nose. Without complaint I tip it back and drink deeply, immediately my muscles ease and the throbbing of my throat subsides. When I look at him his gaze is entirely too intense and I can't bring myself to even dislike it. He has been completely honest with me, in his intentions, his actions, his reasons for keeping certain pieces of information from me.

            Something in the back of my mind whispers that this man is truly looking out for my well-being and that he will continue to do so despite any complaints I may have. It is comforting, even if it isn't true. And so far, there is no evidence to contradict that feeling. I am deeply touched by this. It is a quiet acceptance of everything that I am, something that I have never truly experienced for longer than a day, well… not from someone of my own species.

            " _What are you thinking?_ " He whispers as he tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers continuing down their path to graze against the side of my neck. I lean into the touch despite myself. It all seems too good to be true, either that or I'm an imbecile for letting him insert himself so quickly into my life. And in such a dominant manner.

            " _Nope._ " I respond as I step back and reach for the handle to the forge. Once more he spins me back to him and presses a chaste kiss to my forehead.

            " _Keep your secrets then._ " He turns me back around and pats my bottom as he pushes me forward. I swipe at his hand, turning at the waist to glare at him. A smug smile is written across his admittedly attractive face. He knows, he's cocky and confident; so sure of himself and the effect he has on me. My heart flutters at the sight of him staring at me with such _heat_ in his eyes. A blush tints my face as I duck my head and fumble with the door.

            Solas laughs quietly, not even the closing of the door can block out the infernal noise.


	11. Now or Never

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the large gap between the last chapter and this one. Real life is kicking me in the teeth.

Years come and go. Longevity is confusing at the best of times. Both a blessing and a curse. Unlimited time to contemplate any topic, find a solution to any problem; however when time is limitless is there any true value to life?

            Constantly I push myself, learning the different arts. Magic, combat, how to move the pieces across the board with a deft hand, learning persuasion, the quick wit of the tongue. Wolf boy is trying to teach me how to remove my heart from the conflict. I don't let him. Without throwing my entire being into this… what is the point? He says that it is to make the difficult decisions that only leaders can. My response? I'm not a leader. I don't want it. I'm in it for the cause yes, but when I look at the Evanuris all I see is death and destruction. What happens if we win this war? I hope for peace and prosperity, but I'm terrified that we will create a power vacuum and the nobles will scramble to grab power with both fists.

            Does Wolf boy even think about what will come after?

            Solas won't let me in on plans until I can prove to him that I am ready. I'll never be ready, there is no guarantee that no one can take him from me. Mistakes are made, one cannot protect themselves at all times, he insists that they can. How else has he lived this long?

            Lyko remains silent, watching from her perch or sleeping away the days until I can escape and we roam for weeks living as we used to. In the air until she tires, I hunt until we are full. Playing in streams, splashing in the muck and the mud until I shiver with the cold, breath a visible puff of air. Constant trips to the ocean, where we both partake. She is learning to body surf. Together we venture into the deeper, more dangerous, waters. Our bond constantly grows, our minds closer together each day. She is a beacon of light in my life, teaching me that it is okay to remain childlike and pure in this world. Without her I would have lost long ago.

            Wolf boy leaves for long periods of time, and the wanting returns. Now that I know it's there, when he is gone it is a physical ache. So I throw myself into training, giving my body a reason to hurt helps. During these times Abelas watches closely, making sure I don't push too far.

            Slowly I can feel myself going insane. There are too many eyes here, too much to do and yet somehow not enough to distract me.

            It is a vicious cycle I'm living. But I love this self destructive life style, living on the edge. Never knowing what comes next, in the moment. I still move quickly, like Nana taught me too. Never sitting still for too long, I don't make a good Elvhen, and that is just fine with me.

 

Slowly I tuck several blades into place across my body. Once I heard 'one for them to find, one to keep'. Ideal logic should I be taken alive. My hand disappears into the pack again as I pull more from the depths. Vials are slipped into the pouch at my waist.

            With a hammering heart I push my nerves to the side. They are welling up quickly and my breathing increases. Glancing toward the manor I attempt to steady myself.

            _It has to be done._ I think to myself. _You can do this Marel_.

            It hasn't been easy to get to this point. Blood, sweat, tears, and a lot of cussing has gone into this moment. The training was intense, both physical and mental. Wolf boy even went so far as to provide torture training. He was very thorough in his teaching, though he had not the stomach to see that portion of it.

            Sliding one last blade into the confines of my hair I tie the pack to the tree. Lifting one last vial from the depths and before I can think too much on it I use my thumb to remove the cork. Tossing the contents back, it was a last ditch effort. A last resort, but I will use it if necessary. 

            Subtly I shift my shoulders, reaching through the bond to Lyko. She is on reconnaissance, high in the air. Our target is on the first floor, close to the outer edge. We are waiting until he makes a move that will put him in striking distance.

            **Is this wise, Emma?**

            Silently I laugh and creep forward on the branch. Blinking I stretch my awareness toward Lyko, taking the connection deeper. She exhales, and together we inhale. Our hearts sink, beating as one. I blink again, locking the connection in place and see through her eyes.

            _Nope, nothing about this is smart._ A growl rumbles in her chest as her eye tracks the subject _. But this is going to be so much fun!_

            Sounds emanate from the room; one of the windows is open to allow a summer breeze to creep through.

            **I fail to see how this is going to be 'fun'.** Her lids close momentarily and its uncomfortable as my vision blacks and returns a second later.

            _Think of it as an adventure._ My own green eyes move along with hers as we follow his movements. In the room there are a few documents spread across the desk that takes up a large section of the room. A map is etched into the grain and little metal objects mark the locations of enemy forces, as well as ours.

            _Can you magnify it?_

            Distain greets my words, and my stomach flips as she rolls, winging away into the forest.

            **No, my eyes cannot increase the clarification. Perhaps you should have come with me, then _you_ could have done it.**

            _You don't like me diving off your back!_ I retort as I wrap my hands around a branch to swing down, breaking the eye bond and dropping to the ground. _I am trying to make you as comfortable as possible. Besides… falling several hundred feet is hardly subtle. This **is** a surprise attack._

            **You are sure he is no threat?** She worries as she takes refuge about four miles out, ready to take to the skies again with little notice.

            _Relatively…_

            **Meaning…?**

_That I'm seventy nine percent sure I can take him._

            **That is not a large number.**

            _It is better than seventy eight_.

            She does not appreciate my words, but there is nothing to be done for that. This needs to be done. The other alternative…

            I cannot face that one. Will not. This is the only way, and the days are slowly creeping by. Each moment that this event does not take place is one more, another cycle that my people are bound.

            Pressing down on my awareness I wait for him to turn his attention away from my direction. A woman enters the room, one that I do not recognize. Her hair is blonde, long and flowing. Strands are wrapped around each other in a complex weave, a single jewel carved into an elaborate snow flake rests on her forehead; a delicate silver chain disappears into her hair, holding it in place. Her clothing is a flawless deep green. It clings tightly to her torso before trailing out behind her, a belt tied around her waist.

            Twisting the magic around me I vanish into thin air before cutting the connection to Lyko. Her thoughts are swirling making it difficult to focus; the worry she carries slices deep into my flesh. On light feet I move forward, taking care on where I place my feet; ever pulling my essence into myself so I cannot be detected.

            Slowly my hand creeps down toward a dagger, the other going to a vial at my waist. Waiting for her to leave may prove fatal to the mission. She isn't an acceptable loss and this vial I lifted from Neri will increase her survival odds.

            My thumb flicks the cork off, tilting the vail slightly I dip the tip into the liquid; careful to keep the substance away from myself. I hate this drug with a fiery passion of a thousand suns. It may have been a century ago that I last experienced it, but the memory was fresh still.

            With fluid movements I climb in through the open window, halting when the woman turns around. Piercing gold eyes sweep the room.

            " _I know you are fond of the breeze dear, but there are other methods._ " Her voice is light and melodic. It would be best to get her as close to the heart as possible, allowing the drug to course through her system quickly. Once I get it into her I'm sure she is going to put up a helluva struggle, based on her clothing she is at least a middle class noble if not higher on the ladder.

            The education that Senna has carefully drilled into me over the years tells me that those with more social status tend to rank higher in magical prowess as well. This is not always true, but allowing myself to underestimate the enemy here and now would be catastrophic. And… honestly I have no desire to learn of the nobility. They are not part of my struggle.

            She slowly approaches the window as the man behind her lifts his head. Blue eyes watch her back; a certain gentleness is in his gaze.

            " _Yes, stones that have the blood of the Mountains etched into them. My fondness for them is not great._ " He lifts a paper, scanning the contents quickly before moving three figures across the map. " _The breeze carries a pleasant scent with it, one that cannot be replicated properly. The flora in this area is particularly stunning._ " His chin tilts upward and inhales deeply.

            Subtly his whole body stills and his eyes are now casting around the room. The paper flutters to the desktop, quickly he steps around the room.

            Taking advantage of his movement I circle around the woman, lifting my dagger and nicking her neck with the point.

            Her reaction is immediate; eyes flash a bright blue and she turns. A ripple echoes out from her, it is unexpected. The wave slams into my chest, lifting me off my feet and flinging me across the room.

            Twisting as I soar through the air I drop the cloak, becoming visible. The woman lets out a screech, her hand lifting toward me. Magical energy builds up around her, so much that it is almost visible around her fingers. The air takes on a shimmering quality as she releases the blast.

            Blinking across the room I dash behind the desk, my free hand flashes down to the dagger at my waist. Yanking it free from the sheath I wait for the thud of her hitting the floor. This particular drug dropped me quickly, so she should…

            _Ah… there it is._

            Gaining my feet I flip a dagger in my hand and flick it in the man's direction. He is kneeling next to the woman, hand pressed against her throat. A lazy hand raises and the blade stops in the air. Almost as if it has met a brick wall.

            " _She's alive,_ " I assure as I prepare for an onslaught. A low chuckle emanates from his throat as he stands. " _It's you I'm after._ "

            " _You presume that you are capable of defeating me?_ " As he turns to face me I feel an influx of pressure around him. His deep blue eyes flash to a brilliant electric blue.

            The fight begins. My body is in constant motion as I evade attack after attack. Not all of them can be dodged though, and soon blood drips slowly from a myriad of tiny lacerations across my body. A delightful feeling courses through me as I take in the red smear of his own across the bridge of his nose and down one arm. He may have scored me, but I got him too.

            Twin swords appear in his hands and he presses the attack. Sweeping them through the air as one he advances. My body contorts, leaning one way then another to dodge the vicious  movements. Our blades clash repetitively, daggers sliding down the length of his as I step into his movements and lock both of us into place.

            A silent struggle ensues and I watch with _pride_ as disbelief crawls across his features. Laughing I shove as I warp the world around me and _move_ through the space between us to appear behind him. Time slows as we both spin to face each other, a snarl lighting his face. I feint left with my body, planting my feet as I do so. Twisting his blade into position he prepares to block, but I'm not there.

            With a scream I lift my leg, pouring everything I am into the blow as it connects to his shoulder. A cry of surprise and pain is ripped from his lips as he slides sideways from the force. My gaze quickly darts down to his feet, there I see that his form is off. He isn't quite set properly. Twisting I throw both daggers at him, one after another. My hands fist in the air, expecting something to appear, and through my will it does.

            A massive war hammer pops into existence. Stepping out with my left and giving a twist with my right I pivot my whole body and bring it down upon him. One of his swords falls from his hands, vanishing the instant he lets go, and a shield is born. Dismay courses through me as I watch him tuck it in tight, lowering his head.

            There is a crunch of metal and a string of curses. Opening my hands I let the weapon go and move into his personal space. Quickly I dodge backwards as he lifts his shield and bring it toward my face. Snarling when I am unable to completely evade the move and it connects with my chin. Pain explodes outwards from the contact point. Lifting a hand to run my fingertips across my jaw I mend the bone. My tongue probes the area as I roll away from a sweeping sword.

            " _Submit._ " He demands and my agitation spikes. Turning to face him as I gain my feet I spit a wad of blood to the side. A growing restlessness enters my body. It is difficult to sit still, and I'm starting to think that I cannot take him in this manner. Which is utterly upsetting. Making a split decision, I pull myself into a relaxed lazy position.

            " _Make me._ " I challenge as my hand drops to the pouch at my waist. Digging into it I drag forth a vial and throw it at his feet. As the glass shatters his eyes flick to the downed woman on the floor. He is too slow to react. The contents of the vial splash onto his bare feet. Swiftly I lift my hand, raising the vapors and directing them into his face.

            " _Well done_." He gasps as he topples backward. Lurching forward I grab for his body, softening his landing. Elation fills me. I did it. Not the way I had hopped, but this victory is not hollow.

            I beat him. Holy effing shit I did it! Take that Wolf boy!

            _Its done._

            **You are unharmed?**

            _I told you it was a seventy nine percent chance! Of course I'm fine_.

            Though it had been a very close call there for a moment. That shield almost took my head off. Either he was pissed I attacked the woman—who was she by the way?—or he was confident I would dodge it. I hadn't had time to take in his expression while I fixed the damage.

            _Can you bring me my bag?_ Mentally I push an image of where I left it to her. Distantly I hear her roar in answer. The wind shifts subtly as she pulls herself into the air. A smile crosses my face. I have an almost undeniable urge to write across his forehead 'I win' just to be a bitch. Instead I press my fingers just under his jaw searching for a pulse. I hadn't spoken to anyone about my plan. A surprise attack seemed the only way to win, so when I stole the drug from Neri I didn't ask about proper dosage. I'm almost positive that the amount he inhaled will not be fatal, as long as I get him the antidote soon.

            And that there is not a repeat of past events.

            Tucking a hand behind his head I lower him to the floor. Gently I arrange his hair so it pillows under him. One of my fingers traces his high cheek bones, trailing the side of his nose and down to the little dimple in his chin.

            _Don't get too close Lyko. I'll come to you._

            **So you use the vial after all? Neri won't be happy.**

            _So what if it was her entire stock pile. She can always make more._

            I didn't even want to think of what it took to create the knock out drug if she only had two vials. It felt so much like cheating, like an anti-climactic ending. All of that struggling and Wolf boy was taken down through nefarious means he had no way of defending against.

            But that was kinda the point, wasn't it? For me to prove that I was willing to use—what I deemed was—underhanded methods to win? That no one would take me from him without a fight?

            The question now was would he follow through with his declaration? I hope to high hell he will because we had a deal, and damnit… I didn't want to leave him simply because he was too preoccupied to see that I needed to help in larger ways then sorting through reports to provide him with updates on enemy movements, where troops were located, or any new intel we may have gleaned about how to remove the Evanuris from power.

            I want to be out there, fighting alongside the people who wanted this to end just as badly as I did.

            The shifting air currents tell me that Lyko has retrieved the bag and is waiting outside for me. "Coming!" I call out as I step away from his side and dash toward the window, careful not to step on the little bits of glass. I didn't need Lyko to be affected by the drug. We weren't willing to test how much was needed to knock her out seeing as how there were only two vials of the drug, and two vials of the antidote.

            And I was hoping that he didn't over dose on it.

            Planting a hand on the window seal I vault over, grateful for the press of grass against my feet. My dragon landed about a hundred feet from the manor. With a casual flick of my hand I redirect the air, shifting it to make sure that none of the drug follows me toward her.

            As I come in range of her I notice that Lyko has my bag in her jaws, the straps have been ripped to shreds.

            _Was that necessary?_ I chide as I stretch my hands out. Her nose points up lifting the bag further from my grasp.

            **Apologies, should I have brought the whole tree? Or perhaps just the lid of the pack?** Jumping I swipe at my target. Her wing comes out and bats me back toward the ground. **You could have gone for it yourself-**

            _Alright! I'm sorry._ I grumble at her as I rub the spot, already there is a tingling flow of energy rushing to the area to heal the welt I know she left behind.

            She huffs, temporarily swayed. Lowing her snout she drops the bag into my waiting palms. With a swift hand I flick specks of dragon drool off of it, the sticky substance is difficult to wash out, though this whole bag will most likely just be trashed. Running my hands through the dirt to rid the excess from my skin before I flip open the lid and pull the pinky size vial out.

            Tucking it into the waist band of my pants I turn back toward the manor and the open window. The drug is still thick in the air, I cannot see it however I know that it needs to be dispersed or at least diluted so that the woman does not take in any more than she already has and any new comers to the room aren't affected. Tossing out my hands I stretch my awareness into the room, seeing it in my mind's eye. In concentration I close my fist and pull my arm back toward me while the other directs itself to the sky.

            With satisfaction I move back into the room, breathing deeply to determine if any of it still lingers. A smile twitches onto my mouth as I take in his sleeping form. His brow has pulled down along with the corners of his lips. He must be dreaming. Kneeling down next to him I press a finger to the bridge of his nose and run it upward to smooth the crease. Butterflies flutter around in my stomach, in all the years I've been with him not once has he pressed for anything. He's seen me sleeping many times, but I've never seen him in this state. I know where his room is, but he never seems to sleep. Or at least not as often as I do.

            Gently I pry his mouth open and lift the vial to his lips. Once I've drippled a couple drops into his mouth I run my fingers down his throat, encouraging him to swallow. Carefully I replace the stopper for the vial. Standing I walk over to the woman and repeat the process.

            _Should I wait for them to wake up?_ I ask Lyko as I cast a look over my shoulder in her direction. She has moved closer to the room now that it is safe for her to breathe.

            **Do you think the woman will understand?** She poses, **Did you understand when Neri used that against you?**

            She has a valid point. "No… I did not." I whisper. Mind made up I start to climb from the room when a shiver crawls up my spine. The prickling of large magic being worked. The antidote drops from my fingers as my stomach flips.

            " _You._ " The word brings me to a halt. Slowly my face—of its own accord—turns to look back into the room. The woman is awake already and on her hands and knees. " _Such boldness for a child._ " She hisses at me. Her form fades in and out of reality, snapping back into place several times. It's almost as if she cannot decide what she wants to be, struggling to retain this image. A hand lifts to her neck, when she pulls it away she regards the blood smeared across her palm. " _Who are you that you would dare attack your betters?_ "

            She's one of _those_.

            My grip tightens on the window frame and I launch myself out of the room. In hindsight it was probably a better idea to wait for her to leave. But these blasted elves live so slowly. She could have easily lingered for a decade, if not longer.

            It had been a now or never moment, something I felt deeply in my gut. Now though, every sense I had was screaming at me that this woman was danger, she radiated it. And I poked her with a stick. Stupid, stupid me.

            Magic wraps around my ankle, pulling me back toward her. Lyko roars as she senses my apprehension and she lunges toward me. I swipe out with a hand, grasping for her. Quick as a snake she is within distance. Wrapping a hand around one of her teeth while she snaps her head toward the sky she wrenches me from the elven woman's clutches. The magic is still there, seeking me, but I've been ripped free.

            "Lyko!" I scream as I flail in the air, unprepared for the situation. Her large wings beat twice before she is under me. I slam into her back and start to slide off the side, my hand stretches out searching for the chain while Lyko rolls to the side to prevent me from falling.

            **You're safe Emma.** She assures, and as soon as she feels my hand wind in the chain she rights herself and we move swiftly away from the woman. **Are we letting this go?** I can feel her rage that the woman has attacked me. But it was just in retaliation.  

            "Yes," I gasp as I stand, looping the chain once more around my hand. "When I came out of the drug I attacked Neri. It may just be a side effect of it wearing off." I shiver at the prospect of having to fight off Wolf boy again. Glad that I got out when I did. "Besides, she is obviously a guest of his. We've been rude enough attacking her while she was in our home. I'll probably get an ear-"

            The roar of a dragon behind me drowns out the rest of my words. Twisting I look toward the noise. A purple, silver, and black beast is climbing into the air, horns lifting from the back of its skull to hook back in on itself.

            **Impossible!** Lyko rages as she rolls, a ball of frost exploding from between her massive jaws. **There was no other dragon in the area!**

_It's the woman! There is no other explanation._ I cry out to her as she completes the movement.

            My heart is racing in my chest. Only the Evanuris hold the secret to change into a dragon, holding the information close to their chest. They claim it is a mark of their divinity. She is one of two then. Mythal or Sylaise. Andruil… if it had been her in the room she would not have woken up. Wolf boy wouldn't have allowed her into the house in the first place though. Ghilan'nain has white hair and dark skin.

            Mythal, the leader of the Evanuris.

            Please, please, _please_ let it be Sylaise. Let her and Wolf boy be having some sort of secret tryst. Let him be a liar. Just don't let that be Mythal.

            "I should have just left her sleeping." I growl as I plant my feet. "Fine!" The word directed at Lyko, "let's kick her ass." The links of the chain clank together as it uncoils from my arm. My fingers dig into my hair for the blade stashed there, the bottle of the drug coming into my hands. The cork is lost when I pop it off, the contents go onto the dagger. All of it.

            Will it be enough to take down a pissed of Goddess in dragon form? God I hope so.

            Breathing deeply I shove my awareness into Lyko. We breathe out together, hearts sinking and beating as one. I close my left eye and when I open it again I can see the world rushing under us. Each individual tree stands out in her eye sight.

            _Slow down. We need her in range._ I release the dagger, my mind wrapping around the hilt; dragging it through the air with us. I'm going to need both of my hands for this. My right eye is trained on the fierce creature behind us.

            Lyko does as bid, shifting her torso up and snapping her wings out to the side. The chain pops into my hand with little thought and I slide my legs further apart to hold myself in place. We lose dozens of feet in altitude. Lyko bobs her head slightly and I drop to my knees. The chain tightens around my arm as she lurches higher into the air, climbing vertically. All the while the woman is closing on us.

            I wait with baited breath, watching constantly. Attention divided between what Lyko sees and the Goddess under us.

            **Now!** Lyko screams. She pulls her wings in tight; as we start to fall she turns to face our opponent. Shifting the world around me I vanish from sight and release the chain. The wind rips me from Lyko's back.

            I do my best impression of a flying squirrel, arms and legs cast out to the side to allow her to gain some distance from me. Goddess opens her mouth; the traces of flames build up between her jaws. From my left eye I can see every detail about her. Every scale, the flaws, the place that I need to strike to gain the most damage. There is a chink in her armor, where I pierced her neck earlier.

            She should have healed herself when she woke up.

            The flames shoot from her mouth. The world spins in opposite directions as Lyko goes right and I go left. The wind is ripping my hair free of its bindings and is a roar in my ears.

            We both manage to roll free, Lyko twisting once she is past to shoot another frost ball at the Goddess's haunches. An attempt to draw her attention.

            _Take her to the left!_

            Lyko shifts, wings opening. I feel a strain around my shoulder blades and a phantom burning in limbs that don't exist. Goddess follows, unable to locate where I am Lyko is the only target left.

            Anxiety spikes in my heart as I watch the larger body of the Goddess close on my dragon. The dagger still trails in the air behind me, cloaked along with my body.

            _Roll!_

            She does. But it isn't enough. A scream of pain fills the air, my own barely heard over the rushing of the wind. Agony spikes in my side. Lyko blinks once, its sluggish. Anxiety turns to fear. I snap my arms and legs in, turning myself into a tiny torpedo as I fall with increasing speed toward the larger dragon.

            "LYKO!" I scream in vain, dropping the cloak around me. The dagger shoots into my hand. The Goddess looks up at me, her eyes narrowing. Her claws dig in deeper, ripping a chunk of flesh from my dragon. Blood is streaming through the air now, a tick trail. Lyko screams again, but she has her own claws dug into the woman, locking them together. They start to fall, the larger dragon unable to keep them in the air, and Lyko on her back. The Goddess cannot break free.

            I split the air in front of me, creating less drag on my person, allowing me to fall faster.

            **Reckless.** Lyko whispers, it's difficult to hear and she is fading fast. Too much blood lost. I pour myself into her, attempting to seal the wound from a distance. **I will fight to the last.**

            Her head snaps forward and she closes her jaws around the other's neck. The Goddess rakes with her back legs, giving a shriek that is either pain or outrage. More blood is in the air as the finer scales on Lyko's underbelly are ripped free and the flesh under them is torn open.

            _I'm almost there! Hold on!_ I command, unwilling to let her go.

            **I love you little one.**

            "Do not say goodbye!" The words are ripped from my own ears the instant they are out of my mouth, the sound carried up into the clouds behind me. She didn't hear me. My left eye goes dark and I scream in anguish. "NO!"

            My heart feels as if its exploding, torn to shreds. All I can see is the color red. I don't feel the impact when I slam into the Goddess. She is just a vague outline. I don't hear the roar of triumph, the words 'I love you little one' circle endlessly in my mind. She cannot be gone.

            "I'm going to end you." I snarl, unaware that my own lips are moving.

            What I am aware of is her scales vanishing. Each one that I touch is ripped away from her. My dagger digs into each spot as I climb.

            The drug has no effect. She is not slowing, and we are now climbing higher into the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I hope you enjoyed this little trip into my mind. For some reason I cannot seem to get over the time of Arlathan so this story will probably end up being in sections. May need to reedit the tags... 
> 
> Any-whoodles... Next chapter may be out soon (as in tonight) because the tension I feel at the end of this chapter is absolutely killing me. If not, def within the next couple days.


	12. Fuck Me Sideways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised the next chapter. I hate cliffhangers as a reader. Oh and the beginning section is a little graphic. Don't know what you lovely readers consider too graphic but thought I would throw in a warning just in case!

She screams in pain under me. I feel a vicious stab of satisfaction as we start to fall. The membrane of her wing is ripped to shreds. Attempts to seal it are in vain. The wind has them spread apart, she cannot grow more, only mend them if they are touching. And I will not allow them to touch.

            Too late I remember that I gave her the antidote. The drug is useless against her right now. Lyko placed her trust in me, and I failed. Anguish tugs at my heart. After this _bitch_ is dead I will find Lyko and lift her soul to the heavens. She deserved so much better than I.

            How can I save an entire civilization from the Evanuris if I can't even save her?

            The dagger is gone. Lost when I jumped from her side to her wing; my rage is to great to keep track of the little details. I can always summon more.

Blood rings my mouth as I bite into her wing again. Turning my head I rip the membrane further. My fingers find the hole and I pull downward. The taste of her flesh in my mouth is bitter, and it pleases me. Each scream of pain is akin to a choir of angels at this moment.

            _Lyko,_ I whisper, hope tinting my mind. Silence answers me. _Lyko please don't do this!_

            As if she had a choice. No one chooses to die. She fought until the last. More tears fall. She was supposed to run off into the wilds soon to lay a clutch of eggs. Now I'll never see the baby dragons and play amongst them. I won't see her raise them. I would have ensured that each and every one lived. Hunting across the land and bringing back anything and everything they needed. They would have been as my own children, kin. Family. And now with Lyko gone… so many possibilities have vanished with her. Along with the last traces of my compassion. Vengeance burns through me and I will see it quenched.

            The ground isn't too far away now.

            The fall is uncontrolled. She cannot stabilize herself. Flames shoot past me. Her head jerks erratically, unable to hit me because she would hit herself. With her flesh exposed it would be a mistake. This is a scare tactic, nothing more. I am too small for her to take in this form; not while I crawl across her body like a parasite.

            Branches snap as we reach the trees. Planting my feet I shove off of her wing, throwing myself free of her. I cannot allow myself to be thwarted now, and to be crushed under a dragon would be a pitiful way for me to exit this world.

            I still can't see anything out of my left eye. It is utterly black; a void that reminds me of what just took place. As if I am capable of forgetting. I will carry this with me for eternity. No escape.

            My body collides with a trunk of a massive spruce. My own scream, finally heard as the wind is silenced, fills the void that is left behind. Flesh is ripped as I slide down; bark digging into the skin of my back. Pain doubles upon itself as I bounce off several branches on my way to the ground. The attempts to grab a branch to slow the fall is useless; depth perception—don't miss it until it's gone.

            " _Shift back you fucking bitch._ " I command as I struggle to my feet. Authority ringing in my voice. " _I want to see your face when I slice you from navel to throat._ " Placing pressure on my ankle is agony. Magic floods the area, the pain spikes momentarily and then fades into nothing. My stride never breaks.

            When did I start walking?

            Purple and black shift back into green and gold. A look of pure hatred is written across her face, and disbelief. Am I such a surprise to her? The idea is intoxicating. If I can survive one and terrorize the other perhaps not all is lost. I can still end this blasted war.

Blood adorns her arms, dripping slowly down onto the dress. Its ruined; good.

            Between me and the soon to be dead bitch is Abelas. Where did he come from? He appeared between one blink and the next. It doesn't matter, he's in the way. I'll go through him if I must.

            " _I cannot allow this to pass Emma._ " He calls out; his body sliding into a fighting stance. Twin broadswords appear in his hands.

            " _You can, you just won't._ " I retort, hands closing around a staff that materializes in the air before me. " _She killed Lyko. I will not let her walk away._ "

            " _The loss of the dragon is lamentable._ " Sorrow colors his tone, and I see something akin to pain in his eyes. " _She was a friend._ "

            I nod once as my eyes flash past my mentor toward my destination. The wounds that dot her arms are vanishing before my very eyes.

            " _So, you are bound to her._ " It isn't a question but he gives a curt nod at my words anyway. " _I'm sorry you have to die Abelas, I will remember you fondly._ " My voice is devoid of emotion at this point. Everything I was is scattered in the sky, and on the ground behind me. My world has been ripped away, the colors bland. A piece of me missing, _again_. I seem destined to leave chunks of my soul everywhere I roam. Soon, there will be nothing of me left. Will I wither away, or remain an empty husk?

            " _It is I who will sing your memory into the afterlife._ " There is a finality to his words, the time for speaking has come to an end.

            " _You are not the first to attempt to kill me, and you will not be the last._ " I start forward, the staff barely gripped in one hand. " _Honor until the end._ "

            The distance between us vanishes. A string of quiet grunts climb into the air surrounding us. The only evidence of our battle. Each blow is turned to the side, whether it is mine or his. This is not like the battle with Solas. This is real, and it is to the death. There is no holding back, no fear of hurting the other. That is the goal. Strike quick, and strike true. Do not add flourish, conserve energy.

The swords dig out little chunks of my staff with every stroke.

            I am so tired. But I push forward in constant motion. Twirling and spinning, looking for an opening. His own words echo in my mind. It will be no use to me against him. How many times did we spar? We know each other inside and out. When the other will feint, and when they will strike.

            We fall into an easy pattern, but I will not be lulled into a false sense of security. He will change something; switch the rotation in which the strokes fall. I will be ready. When we break through the other's guard our bodies are not there to receive the blow.

            The circle never ends, a repeating cycle.

            I can feel myself lagging. Each movement is just a hair slower than the last. Abelas is fresh, but I am not. Two battles already since…

            How long has it been?

            I try to remember, to think back to when all of this started. The memory stretches out of my reach.

            And it is my down fall.

            The staff flies from my grip, one sword on each side. He twists with his whole body. I know this move. Once he has completed the rotation he will strike me down, head rolling from my shoulders.

            I couldn't even take one out. Such a waste of time. I should have been a selfish creature. Hid away with my dragon, forever chasing the next adventure. Lazing about in the sun like fat cats. I should have kept to the forest, Andruil would have tired eventually. Should have done so many things. Left Lyko in the mountains, never returned to Wolf Boy. Had patience. Learned to blend more.

            Figured out who left me this scar. So many unanswered questions.

            How far I've come since the forest. No longer am I a small child that would hide at the sound of the cackling laughter. Instead I faced my enemies in combat, even if it wasn't enough.

            It's strange how at the end everything slows and one can think about their life. Should I have stayed with Lui? If I had would Lyko still be alive? Or was her fate sealed when she was born? Was I always destined to stand at this point, staring down two swords slowly inching toward my throat?

            Life with Lui would have been good. It _had_ been good while I was on Earth, but as I told Lyko, it wasn't enough. And Little Max was alive because of what I am.

            No, I take nothing back. Not the years wandering the forest, not the year I spent in his house hold. Not the decades I spent with Lyko, nor the ones I spent training. I would have been a good operative, had I not chosen to jump the gun. I was never one to lay about while others were suffering, no matter how selfish I can be. The 'should haves' didn't happen for a reason.

            The only thing I regret…

            _I wish I could see those ocean eyes once more._

            Closing my lids I embrace the moment. The struggle will end, and no matter what comes I am happy with the way my life turned out. Even if I didn't get my revenge on the woman. I never did find out which Goddess she is.

            Sylaise… Mythal… What does it matter anymore?

            A shiver trails up my spine and the blades never come. Warmth envelopes me.

            Is this death? Was it so quick that I didn't even feel it? Abelas is merciful to me even though I want to strike down his Mistress.

            " _You are safe, my heart, I have you._ " _His_ voice. Safe. I am safe in his arms. Strange how this feeling crept up on me. How often had he held me and I had not noticed? Every pain, little hurt, slams into me at once. Even with my eyes closed, I can see the darkness tugging at the corners of my right eye.

            I laugh in disbelief and turn into his embrace, burying my head into his chest. Wolf boy's body shifts, pulling me out of sight.

            " _What are you doing Dread Wolf?_ " Her voice rings out. The words cause his arms to tighten around me, my own encircle his waist.

            His voice is still soft when he speaks next, " _I'm sorry it took so long my heart._ " His hand comes up to cup the side of my face. Gently he leans back, his thumb smearing something wet across my cheek. " _There was something I needed to take care of first._ "

            I look into those blue eyes and I'm _home_.

            " _Lyko-_ " my voice catches on her name and I cannot force myself to finish. My stomach burns, throat constricts.

            " _Yes, I am aware._ " His eyes are soft as he gazes at me. " _I will be addressing that matter shortly,_ " those soft ocean eyes drift past me and they harden as he meets the gaze of those behind him.

            " _Dread Wolf._ " Abelas addresses, his voice sounds unsure now that Wolf boy is here. " _She attempted to harm M-_ "

            " _Do not explain yourself Abelas._ " The woman speaks, her voice growing closer. " _Your actions were correct. It is Solas who needs to explain._ "

            " _Are you aware of what this is?_ " Wolf boy asks, one of his hands disappearing from my back.

            " _What does that have to-_ "

            " _Are you aware of what this is?_ " He repeats again, cutting the Goddess off. I turn my body, tucking myself under his shoulder. He follows, body curling around mine, however I can see the vial in his hands.

            My body is sluggish still, only his arm around my waist is keeping me on my feet. The world begins to spin and I just want to sleep for decade. Another tear falls as I stare at that tiny vial. Bad decisions took place today, and I curse that tiny vial.

            " _It is the drug she used to poison me._ " I laugh, pressing the noise into his shirt and wiping the salty liquid leaving tracks down my cheeks into the fabric. His hand shifts from my back to cup my head to him, laying his cheek up on the crown of my skull.

            " _No, it isn't. It is the antidote for the drug she used to send you to **sleep**._ " His voice is hard. It is strange, that it can be so full of ice and malice yet his hands be so gentle.

            " _Regardless, old friend, she attacked me. It cannot go unpunished-_ "

            Again he speaks, cutting her off. " _You are prepared to end your own daughter's life?_ "

            My body stiffens and I rip myself from his grasp. Surely my hearing was impaired by the wind. I could not have heard him correctly. His eyes dart to mine, gaze softening for a moment before they flash back toward the others.

            "No." I whisper, wobbly legs send me crashing to the ground. I stare at my fingers as they dig into the dirt, collecting dead leaves between themselves.

            " _You lie._ " She hisses at the same time as me. " _Marel is dead!_ "

            "Oh fuck." I gasp as I clench a hand to my middle. I can't remember what the last thing I ate was but it is threatening to come up. "No, no, no."

            Dirt and moss is clenched between my fingers, my stomach heaves. How did I get on my knees?

            Gentle hands are rubbing circles against my back. Magic flows into the spots they touch, mending the tender skin. I linger for a moment before I shy away again.

            " _Who is she?_ " I gasp as I gain my feet, putting distance between them and me.

            " _Marel-_ "

            " ** _Who is she?!_** " My voice climbs several octaves, coming out a shrill mockery of what it normally was.

            Suddenly it matters a whole lot who the woman is.

            " _The dragon…_ " The woman trails off, horror in her voice. " _Oh my daughter-_ "

            My gaze snaps to her and I hold out a hand to keep her at bay. " _Don't_." I beg as I take a step back. " _You don't…_ " A sob breaks free. " _Just don't_."

            Solas tries to pull me toward him but I twist my arm and glare at him.

            " _She is the All-Mother, the Protector. She is the Justice that strikes swiftly. She is Love._ " With every word he says I flinch, curling further and further on myself.

            " _Mythal_." I groan as fresh tears fall down my face.

            Memories bum rush me, hurtling my mind into oblivion.

_I am barely old enough to be considered a child. Tears adorn my cheeks and pain encompasses me. Scraped knees burn, and my little palms are on fire. Mamae is there in an instant. Finger press gently into the hurts, and she kisses them. They vanish along with the pain. Soft fingers wipe away the salty tears and she begins to sing._

_I still cry, pressing my face into her skirts. She lifts me into the air and twirls me around twice before tucking me tightly to her side. A giggle escapes my lips and my tummy flutters. I squirm looking for the ground and rush toward the twins waiting for me._

_"Crybaby! Crybaby!" They chant in unison, fingers point at me._

_"Mamae!" I call out as I continue to run toward them._

_"Be nice to your sister!" She chides. They roll their eyes, hands clasped together and we all run off into the forest._

_Lifting the little mouse into my hand I whisper to it. Small squeaks berate my ears, but he stills in my palm. With quick feet I exit the larder and rush past Lili who is standing on a chair._

_"Take him far away miss! Don't let him come back." She calls after my retreating form. Tossing a smile over my shoulder before I turn a corner._

_"I promise Lili! He won't bother you again." Swiftly he crawls up my arm and perches on my shoulder. "Won't you little guy? I'll take you to a nice spot."_

_The squeaks are one of happiness this time. He knows that I won't allow any harm to come to him._

_"Please!" I scream, crawling backwards. Fear eats at my stomach as I stare at the elf before me. The dagger he holds loosely in his grasp is dripping with my blood. "What have I done? I don't understand why!"_

_Agony burns its way up my side, and little rivulets of warmth trail a path back down. Animals, my friends, lie scattered around me; their breathing stilled for eternity. My gaze is drawn to the fawn; still so young and yet even he tried to protect me._

_"If I cannot have you; then no one will."_

_The voice is deep; the accent strange. An elf from a different region? But why come here? I do not know him!_

_"I don't know who you are!"_

_"But I know you, Marel; daughter of mine enemy." Magical residue spikes for a moment before it fades into nothing more than ambient flakes. "They have too much, they cannot keep you." I cannot tear my gaze away from his face. Purple eyes that glow in the low light of the forest, across one is a jagged scar._

_Terror bites deep as he takes a step toward me. Those eyes carry a hint of madness in their depths._

I gasp breaking the memory.

            "Oh shit. Oh fuck. No." Hysterical laughter bubbles up my throat and escapes my lips.

            " _Marel._ " Solas speaks gently, his voice resounding in my ear. He is wrapped tightly around me and with that last memory fresh in my mind I pull him closer, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

            " _This is so messed up Solas._ " I whisper back, unable to process everything.

            " _It will be alright._ " He whispers into my hair. The moment drifts, expanding on itself. I'm not even sure if the others are still there. There is only me and him.

            Until one of them speaks, breaking the tender moment that is the only thing holding my sanity in place.

            " _Mistress Marel_."

            "Don't." The word is harsh and Wolf boy translates for me. I didn't even register that I was no longer speaking the mother tongue. " _You killed her._ " I accuse as I step away from Lyko. " _I'm your freaking child and you didn't recognize me?_ "

            " _Remember, you appear different._ " Solas offers gently.

            " _Bullshit! I'm calling bullshit!_ " I shove his hands off of me and back away again. " _She **knows** the color of my aura. She once said that ours reached for each other, and that we were destined to be even if I couldn't see it at the time. Don't cover for her._ "

            " _She is only a woman._ " He defends and it makes me angry. He's supposed to have my back.

            " _Who claims Godhood!_ " I jab my finger into his chest. " _She's part of the problem Wolf boy._ "

            " _She is trying to fix things._ "

            " _And yet she still retains her slaves._ " I point at Abelas, finally I know that the markings belong to- " _Stop distracting me! She ended a piece of my soul. Doesn't that matter to you?_ "

            " _She is not dead._ "

            I blink at him dumbly. My breath catches for a moment before hope hits me like a mac truck.

            " _What?_ "

            " _Lyko is alive, if just barely. The reason for my delay in arriving._ "

            "You…" I pause before starting again. " _You took care of her before rescuing me?_ "

            " _Please do not be angry my hea-_ " I swallow his words; my lips are pressed firmly against his. Pulling his lower lip into my mouth and raking my teeth across it. His hands jerk me forward until I am flush against him. My arm pins his head to mine and I tilt my head to deepen the kiss, savoring the taste of mint and chocolate.

            Suddenly I break away, pressing another chaste kiss to his lips before I move out of the circle of his arms completely.

            " _Where?!_ " I scream as I run away. Laughter follows my form as he calls out her location.

 

I slam into the door with such force that they are ripped from their hinges, pieces of them scatter across the floor as I take in my room.

            "Lyko?" I sob as my feet continue to carry me forward. They stumble, tripping over a shard of wood, my hands catch me and I propel myself forward on all fours. "Lyko!" My whole body curls around her head and I struggle in attempt to lift her snout onto my lap.

            Lifting a lid I check to see that her pupils dilate. When they constrict I run both hands over her scales. Sliding her face back onto the floor I run my hands down her neck, intense concentration taking over my mind. Magic is poured into her system without any hesitation or thought for my own safety.

            Wolf boy healed the majority of her wounds, though there is a massive scar on her belly where Mythal— _fucking woman_ —dug her claws in. Over time it will fade, but the memory will always be there.

            I grasp the tip of her wing and pull it out to check the membrane, I gaze at every scale. Nothing. There is nothing left to heal. He took care of everything. Leaving me with nothing to do but sit here quietly and wait for her to wake up. And I will wait for eternity.

            How can I possibly deserve this?

 

That night I fall asleep under her wing, pressed close to her side. My hand on the scar, magic running through it, looking for a way that I might speed the healing process. A barrier around the room to keep the others out.

            I feel as if there is an unending reservoir inside me, what I expend into her is instantly spooled back into me. So the magic flowing into her is constant. My whole consciousness is wrapped around her, magic pressing into her on all sides.

            Solas fixed the door with a glance. I need to get that trick down. My movements while casting give away my intentions.

            Mythal stopped by but couldn't get into the room. Abelas did too, I'm not sure how to feel about him but I let him in. He had said that Lyko was a friend, and even if he tried to kill me he would have been sad if she was gone and that was good enough for me. He got visitation rights. He brought books that one would read to a child at night to read to her. It was a little weird, but touching to watch the stoic elf read the books, and he _always_ changed his voice for the different characters.

            He is a fucking _softy_ in my book and there was nothing he could ever do to erase that. But he is vexing me. With each visit he attempts to plead with me on Mythal's behalf. I cannot even think of her without rage.

            Slowly the days dissolved into each other and I wait, patience running thin. Solas assures me that she will wake, but her mind is healing itself. It could be days or weeks. Possibly even years. They had no words for it.

            " _It is called a_ coma _._ " I offer to him when he settles down next to me. " _If she is in a deep sleep healing her mind-_ " my words break off as she shifts slightly. Hope rises in my throat but her eyes don't open.

            That night Solas sleeps with me for the first time. I laid huddled in the curve of her neck. He silently climbs over her claw and wraps his form around mine. We stay like that for a week. Senna bringing food for me and him.

            Meat is constantly made available for her, in the event she wakes while we sleep.

            Mythal stopped by _again_. She doesn't get the hint that I don't want to talk to her. I am a woman and can hold a grudge for years. So I hope she is ready for the silent treatment for about six _thousand_ years.

            Elgar'nan arrived two days ago and hasn't left the door. Every time I shut it to create a barrier between his glare and my face he slams the door open again. Damn elves and their infinite patience.

            He is pissed because Solas kept my existence from them for decades, pushing a century. I don't give two shits; I'll punch a bitch if they touch my Wolf boy. And he is _mine_. What he did, putting her before me…

Every time I think about it I get a flutter in my stomach and my attitude is bubbly where he is concerned. He fixed everything, and with the memories I got access too—what little they are—after learning who my family was, the yearning inside me to stay with him has turned into a demand. Nothing short of his death will pry me away from him. And even then I can prolong his life. My healing ability will soar until nothing can take us from each other. When I am finished learning Sylaise won't be able to hold a candle to me, because she doesn't have basic medical knowledge from Earth.

            I do. This situation cannot be repeated with any that I love. The idea of facing the world without either of them… My body shudders at the thought.

 

" _You aren't his yet girl_." Elgar'nan says when I stop him from entering the room for the umpteenth time. " _You will obey my wishes in this matter._ "

            " _Go fuck yourself **dad**._ " I stress the word, adding sarcasm to my voice. " _I'm not your obedient little girl anymore. Shit I barely **remember** you. As far as I see we are standing on two different sides of a battle_." I slam the door again before turning back to Solas. I get two feet before it bounces open again.

            "If it was metal I would weld it shut." I groan as I turn back to him.

            " _GTFO?_ " Wolf boy asks.

            " _Get the fuck out._ "

            " _Ah._ " Sounds emanate from behind me. Solas is moving about the room again, shifting things; making himself comfortable. Last night we spoke about him moving into my room with me, because I would not be pried away from Lyko. So his personal library is being moved into my room, along with half of his other stuff. Including his wardrobe, and _his_ bed because mine is apparently inferior which started an argument on why he gave me it in the first place. I love the little bickering.

            Elgar'nan's mouth opens and closes several times before he barks, " _Do not speak to me in that manner young lady!_ "

            Solas suppress a laugh, covering it with a cough but both of us turn to look at him until his face reddens slightly; the blush traveling up to the tips of his ears. Adorable.

            " _Something funny Wolf?_ " Elgar'nan snarls, his temper getting out of control. I may not have had many memories but I do remember that the man who was my father had a legendary temper that could snap at the drop of a hat. Vengeance. That was what he was the 'god' of. I just see a man; powerful yes but nothing divine.

            " _Simply remembering the time that the 'young lady' would work on the woman standing between us._ "

            " _It ever worked on me?_ " I snort, drifting away from the door. Anything to distract me from the fact that Elgar'nan is attempting to act like my dad. He technically is, in the fact that his sperm fertilized Mythal's egg and I was born as a byproduct… " _When was the last time?_ " I ask shaking that train of thought from my mind; I do _not_ need to think about them doing the nasty.

            I watch as Wolf boy tilts his head, his hand stretches toward me and I move toward him without thinking about it. With my hand in his he pulls me close, wrapping his other arm around me. Inhaling I can smell the scent of the forest in this area.

            " _It probably wasn't the last time, but it was the last one I was witness to,_ " he starts. Elgar'nan is breathing heavily from the door way but he is ignored by the two of us. " _You snuck out of your room in the early hours of the morning. Everyone was terrified of where you were-_ "

            " _Why?_ "

            " _Remember how when I told you that you had changed? That you were a softer creature back then?_ " I nod at him and he smiles, " _They were very protective of you._ " Quickly he presses a kiss to my forehead and continues with his story, " _Everyone was out looking for you, Dirtheman in particular. He was whispering to the trees and stones in attempt to learn where you had trav-_ "

            " _What were-mgdhafid_ ," his hand closes over my mouth muffling the rest of my words.

            " _Do you want to hear the story or not?_ " I smile and nod at him again. When he opens his mouth I open mine and earn myself a glare. He blinks slowly at me and waits. When I raise my eyebrows at him he continues once more. " _They found you next to a river playing with a few otter pups._ " I 'aww' just thinking about them. " _Yes, that was about your reaction. Elgar'nan was furious that you had slipped your guards **again** and demanded that you return to the castle posthaste._" I glare over my shoulder at the man who is currently pinching the bridge of his nose. " _A few weeks later you snuck out once more, this time they found you sitting high in a tree gazing at the stars; a glass of apple cider clutched tightly in your hands. This trend continued on for several months until Elgar'nan finally lost his temper and told you that if you were going to continue to sneak out he was going to 'cut you off young lady'._ "

            " _Really? He got pissy because I wouldn't sit still?_ " I snort again, " _How stupid! Gaw! That sounds like me though. And it really worked?_ "

            " _You were quite a spoilt child._ "

            " _You like it._ " I taunt.

            " _Actually, I did not._ " He rests his chin atop my head and squeezes me tightly, " _It was not until much later that we bonded._ "

            " _Oh?_ "

            " _Yes, it was when you stopped a noble from whipping a slave in public. Falon'din was furious with you, but you didn't let that man lay another hand on that child._ " He leans away from me and pride shown in his eyes, " _You purchased the young boy's contract right then and there; setting him free and finding him a home in the temple of your mother._ "

            " _Of course it was something like that._ " I chide, " _You were unable to see my brilliance until I did something that **you** would do. Pig headed bastard_." My fingers wrap in the edges of his collar and I pull him toward me, eyes fixed on his lips. Those amazing lips that I cannot-

            " _Ahem!_ "

            "Going to kill him." I growl as I rest my head against Solas' chest. " _What now?_ "

            " _Can we finish our discussion on your stance of speaking with your mother?_ "

            " _No._ "

            " _Marel-_ "

            " _No._ "

            " _Now listen_ -"

            " _No._ "

            " _Youn-_ "

            " _No._ " I step away from Solas and turn to look at his emerald eyes. They are the exact shade as mine. His hair is jet black just like mine. I can see the resemblance, almost like I am a mini him. Though I have Mythal's fine cheek bones. How they cannot see it is beyond me. " _You listen._ " My hand rises in the air and I jab a single finger in his direction, " _She almost **killed** me because she didn't have the patience to wait and see what was going to happen. She jumped to conclusions and she is—according to Solas—supposed to be the **best** of you. If that is the best I want nothing to do with **any** of you._ " By the end I am yelling. I guess I got his temper too, once my backbone sprouted.

            " _She wept for you for a thousand years._ " His hand grips the edge of the door frame, the wood groans under the pressure.

            " _Boo-fucking-hoo!_ " I scream as I toss my hands in the air. Something must have gotten lost in translation because he is looking at me like he should be mad at what I said because that unpleasant 'f' word is mixed in but doesn't know exactly what I said.

            " _Marel,_ " Solas approaches, " _you cannot hold what she did against her. The fault belongs to no one, but you did attack her first._ "

            " _And there you go defending her!_ "

            " _I am not defending her, I am being rational._ " He grabs my arm and pulls me back to him, I struggle every step of the way. " _How did you react when you came out of the drug?_ " He chides and I glare at him because I know he is right.

            " _Ass._ " I grumble as I scrunch my nose up, " _How dare you use logic against me._ " I sigh and tug once more. He releases me, " _Fine! When Lyko wakes up I will revisit the topic. But not before then._ "

            " _And if she does not?_ " Elgar'nan asks quietly. Slowly I turn toward him.

            " _Then I will never speak with her, or of her, again._ "

            " _But she is your mother_." He pleads.

            " _No mother of mine would kill a portion of my soul._ " I still can't see completely out of my left eye. A piece of my soul is literally locked away inside the slumbering dragon. We were connected when all of this happens. My hand rises to touch just under my left eye. Everything is… blurred. I can make out shapes and colors but that is all.

            " _This, I believe, is the best you are going to get under these circumstances Elgar'nan._ " Solas states as he steps between us. " _I have allowed this to continue for far too long. When the dragon wakes I will send a message. Until then I must ask you to leave my home._ "

            " _You presume-_ "

            I step around my Wolf and glare at Elgar'nan. " _Don't go down that road old man._ " My words are tired, we've been round and round on this topic for weeks now. " _You have my answer, when she wakes I will revisit the topic. Until my dragon is awake and my soul is whole I will not speak with Mythal_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Can't kill my lovely little dragon. And that last bit, with Elgar'nan, is a mess. Ugh... But there is only so many times I can edit and rewrite a section. So if you don't like it, please forgive me; I am not fond of it myself however I felt it important to show more family ties. More will be coming in the next chapters!
> 
> I think a lot happened in this chapter. Hope you lot aren't disappointed with it.


	13. Its a Crazy World I Live In*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some completely NSFW at the beginning. If you want to skip there is a line of asterisks that separate that portion from the rest of the story.

I gasp sharply and buck my hips as he flattens out his tongue and drags it upward. Fingers are thrusting roughly in and out of me, curling just so. Tension coils in my stomach as he twists his digits, seeking that one spot that can make me scream. Stars dance before my eyes, and I lose the ability to string two words together as he inches closer and closer.

            Solas growls, the noise sending slight vibrations into my clitoris. My fingers dig into the sheets, ripping them toward me. " _S-Solas!_ " I groan, the beginnings of a peak flitting closer.

            " _Mm?_ " The sound is divine and so utterly confident. He pulls away to look at my face, our eyes locked together. His hand has slowed its rapid pace and is now just slowly pulling and pushing into me. A whine escapes my throat at the loss of friction.

            Who knew that sex could be this mind blowing?

            " _As-_ " I scream, my words cut off as his lips wrap around my bud and he slowly twirls his tongue around it. " _Uncalle-Ha!_ " My torso twists up off the bed as I jerk, he found the spot.

            " _Would you like me to stop?_ "

            " _Don't you fucking dare_." I snarl in answer, eyes snapping back to his. A smug smile pulls at the corners of his lips. Slowly he runs the tip of his chin up my side and nips at my hip. Growling I reach for him. His eyes dart to my hands, flash electric blue, and I am pinned once more.

            " _What did we speak of?_ " He asks as he slowly crawls up the length of me, pausing every so often to explore in great detail; running his lips over the ridges of my ribs and to the valley between my breasts. Slowly he pulls a taut nipple into his mouth, suckling gently before running his teeth over the bud. I jerk involuntary and arch my back into him. Sliding his hands up my sides and around my back to hold me to him, he speaks again. " _Are you going to behave, my love?_ "

            That was a loaded question. His version of behaving was keeping my hands to myself while he took pleasure from my body. It drove me mad being unable to touch him, which he absolutely reveled in. If I could just figure out how to pin _him_ things would go so much easier.

            His attention switches to my other breast, nipping harshly before running his tongue over the hurt. " _Marel?_ "

            " _I'm thinking_." I shoot back as I probe the bonds around my wrists.

            He cups his hand around my hip and smirks, chin resting upon my stomach. That smirk is still on his face and I am unsure of what is coming next.

            Suddenly the world turns as he flips me onto my stomach. His knee spreading mine, his hand back at my core. A groan escapes me as he starts to build me up again.

            " _I am not doing a proper job then,_ " he whispers against my neck, his whole body covering mine. My hands dig into the sheets and I arch my back to give him better access. This slow love making is going to drive me further into insanity. " _The situation will be rectified._ "

            " _Do whatever you want, as long as you don't-_ " I break off and scream again as he hits that spot again causing me to topple over the edge. Waves crash over me and he prolongs the moment, pushing another finger in to join the two already there, rubbing his thumb across my clitoris.

            " _Still able to think?_ " He asks as he presses a kiss to my shoulder.

            " _Ngh._ "

            He laughs gently and the fingers inside me vanish, only to be replaced with something better. The sound of his groan rolls through me as he pushes inside me until he is flush against me.

            "Oh god." I groan as I raise my ass higher, moving my knee up. He holds me still, allowing me time to adjust. My mind is spinning, and he moans as my muscles contract around him, still spasming from just moments ago.

            " _So…_ " he grunts as I flex around him, deliberately egging him on. Teeth embed themselves in my shoulder and he lets out a muffled word that sounds suspiciously like 'tight'. I smirk, making sure to hide it from his gaze.

            Slowly he starts to move, both hands on my waist, guiding me back into him when he moves forward.

            " _More._ " I demand in a breathy voice that I've never heard before.

            " _As you say,_ " he whispers. His movements are faster now, and the friction is sublime. All sane thought goes out the window and I am reduced to a single cohesive thought. _More_. I chant it over and over again, _yes, yes, yes_. A string of endless praise that makes no sense to me falls from my lips.

            His hand slides up from my hip, crossing over my chest and tightens on my shoulder. The thrusts are coming impossibly fast now, my toes curled tightly from the bliss that is lighting every nerve on fire. The words have devolved into whines and half formed pleas.

            The grip on my shoulders tightens again and he rocks the both of us backward until he is sitting on his knees. He spreads them, opening me further. His hips never stop moving, his hand pulling me down upon him.

            " _I love you._ " He whispers into my hair. The words send me over the edge and I scream his name. His speed picks up, and its too much. My muscles clench again as another one hits me. His free hand comes to my jaw, turning me to face him. His lips descend to mine as he quickly thrusts up into me. My own come up to hold the back of his head, fingers tightening in his hair. " _I love you, my heart._ " The words break upon my lips, they are quickly followed by a feral growl as he follows me over the edge .

            As one we fall forward on the bed, both of us breathing heavily. His arms prop him up around me. And for a moment, just one moment, the world is bright and everything is right. It is a tender sweet second.

            That moment stretches into another as he rolls onto his side and pulls me into him. I sprawl across his chest, pressing kisses into his skin where ever I can reach.

            Soft laughter rumbles under me, lulling me into the beginning stages of sleep.

            I nip at his collar bone, eye lids drooping and unable to stay awake for a moment longer. Mumbling the set of words back to him I drift into some of the best sleep I've ever had.

 

***************************************************************************************************************************

Groggy I roll onto my back. Something pulled me from sleep and I try to focus, to determine what happened. It's difficult though, I'm still tender in certain areas and moving sets me a flame in all the right ways.

            Reaching out with a hand I search for Solas and find that his side of the bed is empty. Running the other over my face I look around, eyelids drooping every other second. My tongue feels thick, and it's tiring to…

            What was I doing?

            With a groan I roll out of the bed, collapsing to my hands and knees. My eyesight won't focus, its blurry and the world is spinning. It feels as if I am drunk, but I just woke up. And typically I try to stay away from morning drinking.

            " _Solas?_ " I whisper as I crawl forward, " _Senna?_ "

            My arms give out and the floor rushes up to greet me.

           

           

I float. Time meaningless as always. The world around me is white, though it is slowly fading to black. Words whisper constantly; niggling at the back of my mind. They are out of reach however, and I am unable to make them out.

            My heart beats, I can feel it in the back of my skull; like a massive migraine. It throbs to the sound of a beat I recognize but can't place. I want, so badly do I want.

            _You're breaking_.

            Head swivels toward the sound. No one is there. No one is ever there.

            Those are the only words I can ever hear. You're breaking. That is wonderful to hear. How am I breaking? Is it me physically? Or mentally? Or am I breaking something else? Does it even matter _what_ is breaking?

            No. Nothing matters here. There is peace and solitude. Comfort and warmth. Things that I have not had in an age.

 

When I wake I am still sprawled across the floor. Tenderly I push myself to my knees and stand. A glance around the room tells me that I am alone and that Lyko still has not risen. The hope that she would be with me soon is starting to dwindle. Eternity stretches before me but I have not been good at waiting since Earth.

            Crossing to the tub I start to draw a bath, sticky substances still cling to me and I don't want to walk around smelling like this.

            A moan escapes past my lips as I settle into the warm water, doing wonders for muscles that haven't been worked for a very _long_ time. I am quick about cleaning up though. The fact that I woke up on the floor after passing out is not a comforting thought. Wolf boy has not been back to the room since he left; which seems out of character for him as he normally wakes me with a plate of food.

            Something important has pulled him away and I need to get in. Sitting here waiting for Lyko to awaken is too much. I thought I would be able to handle it. But seeing her in this state, unable to do anything to speed the process is painful. She is not suffering; dormant. Sleeping.

            Quickly dressing in simple clothes; sleeveless shirt and loose breeches I move toward the door. Pausing at the door I fight a wave of anxiety. I have not left this room in such a long time. My hand lingers on the handle as my body starts to shake; stomach in knots and bile threatening to make an appearance.

            _Best to rip it off like a band aid…_

            I rip the door open and shove myself through, slamming it behind me. Gulping several breaths I stand there for a moment. The corridor is empty and it seems to stretch on forever. I don't look back at the room but weave layer after layer of security. If anyone even comes within fifty feet of the door I will be alerted.

            Setting off I start my search for a familiar face. Is Abelas still here? My hands itch for something to do. But first to find the Wolf.

            A loud rumble from my stomach proves that is to be _second_. Food is important. Trotting down the stairs I head for the main floor of the manor. Silence rings through the halls; even more have been let go. Only myself and a handful of his most trusted people remain. To my distaste, Neri ranks on this list.

            Brushing into the kitchen I see that she is absent. Relief floods me. We are no longer bitter toward each other but it is still uncomfortable to be in her presence. I glance around the empty room, remembering my very early days in this place. Shrugging the memories away I move toward the larder and grab food and a bottle of spirits. Sitting down at the table I quickly devour the meal, resolving to come back later today and cook something. It's been too long since this kitchen emitted smells that made my mouth water.

            Belly happy I lift the bottle, take a swig and start for the door. A smile upon my face, everything seems to be falling into place and I can't wait to start. I wonder what my first mission will be. Wolf boy will most likely start me off small. Infiltrating some lord's castle as a wench, possibly a slave with false markings on my face.

            A consciousness brushes against my mind bringing me to a halt mid-step. It is arid, my throat instantly parched. The taste of peaches floods my mouth.

            _Neri._

            I can feel her fear, her pain.

            Twisting I latch onto her and move swiftly in her direction. Please do not let this be what I think it is.

            He better not.

            When I finally locate the room she is in I throw my awareness out of me and through the stone door.

            Throwing my weight into the door I shove it open. It grinds across the floor, a loud noise that alerts him that I am coming. I can feel my distain rising. What could he possibly be thinking? Was he doing this now because he believed that I was still asleep upstairs? We've never spoken of what transpired last time, and it was time to rectify it.

            " _The fuck do you think you're doing?_ " I ask as I round the corner and a grisly sight is displayed before me. Neri is on her knees, hands held behind her.

            " _We are discussing her loyalty._ " Gone is the man that was with me upstairs. This is the man who will make no compromises in a war for the souls of the People.

            " _What is her crime?_ " I demand, moving closer; refusing to be cowed by the look in his eyes. They glow blue and she screams. My gaze darts to her form. Her muscles are taught, to the point where she is shaking.

            " _She allowed access to a restricted item without my permission._ " He turns away from me. My stomach is like ice. How can this be the man that just spent tender moments with me? I understand that there are necessities in war. It is ugly and full of hard painful decisions. But this?

            " _You're done. I don't care what she did or didn't do._ " I shove him hard, breaking his concentration. Neri sags, dropping to her side and weeping into the floor. Disgust crawls through me at this act. How long has this carried on?

            " _Actions have consequences. Something that Neri appears to have forgotten._ " Solas recovers, straightening his shirt. His full attention is on me. The overwhelming feeling is back as he bears down upon me, his soul washing over my skin. He feels like an oasis in a desert. Cool and refreshing.

            I ignore him as I approach the woman.

            " _Thank you lass._ " She moans as I lift her to me and press healing magic into her being. Why she allows this I will never know.

            " _Does her loyalty not show? She sits here and **willingly** takes the punishment you dish out for her mistake._ " I glare at him, " _I don't ever want to hear about this again. A line has to be drawn somewhere; and this is over that line._ "

            " _Neri?_ " He questions.

            " _I live to serve._ " She answers without hesitation. " _My life is yours; dedicated to the cause. Any cost to see that it is accomplished._ "

            I growl at her response. "Stupid fucking…" Sighing I look at her. " _Yes, ending slavery is important. But you are of no use to us in this state._ " Fixing the last of the hurts I escort her out of the room, my glare at Wolf boy indicating that this is not over. " _Stay put, we are discussing this._ "

            When we exit the room I close the door and press a hand to the stone. A barrier pops up over the room and I lock _him_ in for a change. Let him stew on this and think about it.

            " _What an asshole!_ " I scream and hurl my fist at the wall. It cracks under the blow, blood smeared across the wall. Neri flinches and takes a step back. " _Don’t._ " I hold up a hand. " _I'm not mad at you._ " Taking in her appearance I sigh again. She takes my hand in hers and I feel the press of the arid desert like feeling of her soul working its way through my hand.

            " _You shouldn't interfere in these matters lass._ " She states, " _It is beneath your standing._ " I sigh as the pain vanishes, leaving a tingling behind in the tips of my fingers.

            " _Why was he doing that?_ " She doesn't meet my gaze. Her eyes darting around on the floor. " _Neri, what item was restricted?_ " Placing a hand on her shoulder I start us down the hall. Need to get her cleaned up.

            " _He will be displeased if I-_ "

            " _Enough of him! I don't give a shit if he stays in there for a decade!_ " She shies away from me and turns. " _Neri-_ "

            " _He is blaming me for what happened with Mythal._ "

            My head jerks back in surprise and I blink at her back. How in the world is that her fault? That was all on me, the consequences lay at my feet. Neri did not make me do what I did. So what brought Solas to that conclusion?

            She is quiet while I process the information.

            " _The drug_." I whisper in horror. " _He hurt you because I stole it from you. He did this because of what I-_ " My stomach rolls. How could he? That… "Bastard!" I spin Neri to face me. " _You are not responsible for it._ "

            She shakes her head and takes a step back. " _If I had been more vigilant… Made sure they were secure…_ " She takes a shuddering breath and I watch her closely. Her hands lift up and run through her hair. " _All of this is my fault. Your dragon, the rift it caused with the other Evanuris -_ "

            " _The Evanuris is filled with a bunch of self-righteous assholes._ " I break in, unwilling to let this woman beat herself up over my mistakes. " _You didn't make me steal the drug. You weren't even aware that it was gone. You didn't make me send Mythal to sleep to get what I wanted. You didn't make her attack me. You didn't hurt Lyko. You are not responsible for anything that has transpired because I made a stupid mistake._ " Each sentence is forceful as I attempt to drive home the fact that no one is responsible for me. " _I took the drug. I put Mythal to sleep. I fought Mythal. I chose that path, no one else. And don't you let him punish you for that._ "

            " _You don't blame me?_ "

            " _Why would I do that? I **stole** from you! You should be pissed at me._ " I laugh at the incredulous look on her face. " _Oh Neri, the people in this world are more fucked up then I originally thought._ " Throwing an arm over her shoulder I start us toward the upper floors. " _Now, let's get you a bath and out of those clothes. You reek._ "

 

I stare at the food that lined the shelves in the larder. Neri is currently taking a bath in my quarters. Which is about as far as I can get her from Solas without leaving the house all together. I don't know what I'm going to do with him.

            He is furious. I can feel him. His presence is smothering me at this exact moment and I am doing my best to ignore him. I'm trying to see it from his side, see how either of them could remotely think that it's her fault.

            " _Mistress Emma?_ " Senna steps into the room. I wave a hand indicating that I heard her.

            " _Marel, Senna._ " I gently correct as I start to pull ingredients from the shelf. There was a delightful Mexican restaurant back in Hawaii that served the most deliciously spicy foods. Here they have similar peppers but I'm not sure what they use them in. Finding green chili in the back I grab a handful and decide on chili rellenos. Its simple, quick and hopefully the burn on the tongue will curb the burn in my stomach. " _I've been outed._ " I toss a smile at the soft spoken woman as I drop the ingredients on the counter.

            " _Have you seen Master Dread Wolf?_ "

            " _Mmm._ " I nod as I pull a bowl out and start to mix seasonings into flour. She is quiet and I look up. " _Oh! You want to know where he is?_ "

            " _If you would Mistress,_ " she smiles, " _We've received a report regarding Falon'din-_ " Her eyes widen as she realizes that I know he's my brother and she seals her lips. A panicked look crosses her face. " _Please do not-_ "

            " _You can report to me if you like. I'll make sure he gets it._ " A little bit of egg escapes the bowl as I whisk too hard.

            " _'Tis important, Mistress, that I report directly to him._ " Her voice carries a hint of worry in it.

            Sighing I set the whisk down and shove the chili into the oven. I'm quiet for a moment while I struggle to light the fire without the hand gesture. Eventually it lights and I toss in a few extra logs for good measure.

            " _I locked him in his 'punishment' room Senna._ " I slam the oven door shut and turn to her. " _To prevent anyone from receiving further beatings on my part I won't try to pry the information out of you._ " A tight smile presses my lips together.

            " _You… locked?_ " Her eyes dart side to side. " _Mistress?_ " Lost and confused little Senna is. I can see it laced in her wide eyes.

            " _Yes, locked._ " I nod. " _You hungry?_ "

            " _Shouldn't we let him-_ "

            " _Nope, this is justice._ " I thought of all the times he locked me in a room. Oh this felt too good. No wonder he kept doing it. " _Hungry?_ " I prompt again.

            " _Mistress-_ "

            " _Marel, please. I'm no one's 'Mistress'_." Turning back to the oven I speed up the process of roasting the chili. The enticing smell drifts out of the oven, and even though I recently ate it causes saliva to build up in my mouth.

            Taking a deep breath I push against Solas' soul. He is starting to make me a little claustrophobic.

            " _Marel, he will not be happy about this development._ "

            " _Oh, he is so mad._ " I call out cheerfully as I move back into the larder and pull some rice out.

            " _And there is nothing I can do to change your mind?_ "

            I sigh and look at her. " _Did you know that he was beating the sense out of Neri because I took the sleeping draught from her without her permission and blames her for everything that has transpired because of it?_ "

            " _That woman should keep better stock of the things our lord gives her!_ " She defends. A metallic taste bites at the back of my tongue. I can feel the anger rising again. This is what is wrong with the world. An elite few that can do no wrong, no blame is placed on them. When did I make the transition into that little group?

            " _Out._ " I point at the door.

            " _Mistress?_ " Confusion colors her tone again. She doesn't even know what she did wrong.

            " _Its thinking like that that is poisoning our world. Laying blame at the feet of people who are not responsible._ " My stance shifts and I jab a finger at the door again. " _I expected better of you Senna._ " She is the one I _actually_ like. God above but I am a blind mother fucker. It's not just slavery in this world. It's like the upper crust back on Earth. They hide behind their power and think themselves above reproach so the majority of the world falls in line.

            The sound of her steps leaving the room is loud in the ensuing silence. Clenching a fist I summon a knife and start to chop onions into fine slivers. The rhythm helps disperse the anger. But it isn't enough.

            I start to rush. This isn't what I need.

            The chili come out of the oven and with a twist of a finger its peeled. Everything is thrown together. I leave a plate out for Neri with a note leaving precise instructions to eat it and where I will be if Solas starts shit with her again while I'm gone.

            " _Emma?_ "

            Twisting I let out a scream. "Fuck. Ass." Slapping a hand over my heart I try to calm myself down. Adrenaline races through my blood. " _Neri!_ " I choke out, " _you scared the ever living crap out of me._ "

            She smiles and looks at the plate of food. I wave a hand in its direction and she tucks into it. " _Strange to have a woman of your standing cook for me._ "

            " _I claim no divinity. I am just Marel_."

            Her eyes bulge and she chokes on the bite of food she just took.

            " _Shit. Is it too spicy?_ " I pull my own plate toward me and take a bite. " _Oh drama queen! Its not even-_ "

            " _You're Marel?_ " She gasps out. I give her a funny look and pull a glass from the cabinet.  Pouring a generous amount of wine into it I slide it toward her.

            " _You didn't know?_ " I question as I pull the harder stuff toward me. " _I thought all of the operatives here knew?_ "

            " _No!_ " She shoves the plate away.

            " _You're hurting my feelings Neri._ " I jab the food back toward her, " _eat_."

            " _It certainly explains a lot though._ "

            " _Oh?_ " I smile as she takes another bite. " _Such as?_ "

            " _How incensed he was when you disappeared the first time._ " The food quickly disappears from her plate, how she is shoveling it into her mouth and still talking with perfect clarity is a mystery to me. " _Lass-ah forgive me Mistress Marel-_ "

            " _Lass is fine._ " She shakes her head at me and opens her mouth, " _I insist Neri._ " I take a slug of the rum. " _What else does it explain?_ "

            " _How you have a bloody dragon. I thought he scoured the world looking for another with your talent for his war._ " I push the bottle of wine toward her when she gulps it down. How long was she down there? When did she last have anything to eat or drink? " _Why he is so protective over you._ " Her eyes glow in the dim light, a single tear rolls down her face.

            " _He didn't know until I returned Neri._ " I wonder about why he would have been so upset I left. " _I don't know why he was so determined to find me-_ "

            Glass shatters on the floor and she covers her mouth with a hand. Her eyes are wide and full of horror.

            " _What?_ " I look around, quickly gaining my feet and ready for anything. A dagger materializes in my hand, throwing my essence out to look for any threat. " _What is it? Oh god, did he break out?!_ " Throwing myself through the floor I search for the source of his soul. Relief floods me when I find him where I left him.

            " _Mythal is your mother!_ " Neri exclaims, barely heard through her hand. A groan escapes her lips and she slams her head into the kitchen counter. " _Oh Gods forgive me._ "

            " _You have got to stop doing that!_ " She did it again! Scared the daylights out of me. " _And yeah, I just found that out too._ " I sit back down and chug the rum. " _Delightful family I have, huh?_ _Attacks me, almost kills Lyko. What kind of mother doesn't recognize her own daughter?_ " I snort and lift some of the Spanish rice to my mouth. " _And don't get me started on father dearest_." I stab a piece of the chili with a fork. " _I have to get out of here._ " I whisper.

            " _Are you running away again?_ " Neri asks quietly.

            " _No._ " My response is immediate. " _No. Not will Lyko still asleep upstairs._ " The fork moves the food around on the plate. My appetite gone. " _I just need some space. I can't… he wasn't supposed to… how could…_ " I look at her, strange how easy it was to talk to her about this. Strange how little I disliked her in the middle of our relationship, strange how now I was her protector. Even if it was self-proclaimed. " _Will he start over with the whole sadistic punishment thing again if I let him out and go?_ "

            " _I-_ " She stops and looks at her plate. " _Lass, I don't expect you to protect me from him all the time._ "

            " _Tough shit. Its happening._ " Internally I was responsible for her now. She was my people, even if she didn't see it yet. And I take care of what is mine.

            She lets out a low chuckle. " _Far be it from me to question the will of someone from **that** family._ "

            " _Hey!_ " I jab a finger into her side and she jumps in surprise. " _Not fair! I was good from what I remember and was told!_ "

            Laughter rings out from her throat. The first time I heard her laugh. Ever. Because I never even gave her a chance. Yeah, she messed up, but was it really her fault of she was so enamored with the ass I'm in love with locked away down stairs? No, because she was following orders. She carried them out, and should have thought of the consequences. But I was no better than her. I did the exact same thing.

            " _I'm sorry_." The words tumble out before I could even register they were building up. Neri's head jerks toward me.

            " _For?_ "

            " _How I've treated you. It was unfair of me._ " The words are difficult to pry out, " _And I will try to do better in the future._ " Standing I make my way toward the door. " _I'm letting him out. Do you want to leave? I'll cover for you_."

            " _You would?_ " She sounds suspicious and I can hardly blame her for that. I was a bitch to her.

            " _Heck yeah, no one deserves what you went through_." I wince, " _And its my fault it happened, well… I didn't make him do it to you but it was my actions that cause that reaction from him so I was the cause of it._ " She pulls me into a hug and I realize that I am babbling like an idiot.

            " _Lass you have nothing to apologize for._ " Awkwardly I pat her back. " _And no, my place is here._ "

            " _Alright, but you have the note_." I point at it, " _If he starts anything, come to me. I'll take care of it._ " Worrying my lip between my teeth I leave the kitchen and head towards a shit storm of an argument. I can't condone this type of behavior, the abuse. I know I should just walk out the door and leave, but even if Lyko _was_ awake at this moment I don't think I could. He has the potential to be so caring, hell he has been.

            I wonder what changed him. The memories that kept creeping up on me never displayed this side of him. Was it something that he hid from me back then? Or is it a new development? Will he stop? Does he even see what he is doing is wrong? Is it even wrong to him?

            My hand presses into the stone door and I begin the process of unlocking the barrier. Lord save me from my stupid heart.


	14. Building a Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who have left kudos, and the wonderful comments so far. They make this writers day!

My soul, flying free of its bodily confinements, sweeps the room as I enter. Dread Wolf is crouching in the corner; eyes glowing blue. His hair is disarrayed, and the light from the stones set into the walls casts a harsh shadow across his face. Distantly I know that the look in his eyes should give me pause, send a shiver of fear up my spine but I am detached. I enter this room not as his lover, not as a soft and tender woman. Completely aware, I am, that this has the potential to dissolve into a fire fight. He walks among both warring factions; the Evanuris _and_ the Forgotten Ones. That is not something achieved through idleness or stupidity. Dread Wolf is cunning, he is fierce.

            But he hurt Neri, in ways that no one should have the right to do. I don't know what he sees when he looks in the mirror, but it isn't what I see. A kind man, one who took a chance on an emaciated elf, took her in and gave her a home. And when she spat in his face he sent his people to look for her and make sure she was safe. What he did with Neri isn't something that _that_ man would do.

            So he could sit in the corner all growly if he wanted to, but I saw into the fuzzy interior.

            I come to him as his _equal_ , and I damn sure wasn't going to let him cow me into submission.

            " _Are you finished?_ " He asks quietly. My eyes track his movements. Slight tensing of the muscles in his legs as he draws himself into a standing position. " _Or are you going to pretend that you didn't interfere in matters that are not your business?_ "

            " _Not my business?_ " I let out a barking laugh. " _Everything that goes on here is my business. I'm making it my business._ "

            " _You have no grasp of the situation. The picture you see is a fraction of the larger._ " He takes one step toward me, torso leaning in my direction. " _Because of her actions the Evanuris now knows you are back._ "

            " _Her actions? Surely you mean mine._ " I lift a hand and point in her general direction through the roof. " _She did **nothing** wrong!_ " The burn in my stomach comes back in full force. " _How can you not see that?!_ "

            " _Did she not?_ " He retorts, taking several steps toward me until he towers over my body. " _She made you aware of a powerful potion that can send even the strongest of us into a sleep so deep that it has the potential to mimic the eternal waking dream. Not only did she do that, but then she allowed you to roam free when you should have been here._ " I open my mouth to respond but he continues with such force that my words are drowned out under his tirade. " _Then, she made matters worse! Allowing you to get your hands on it. Through that the Evanuris knows it exists and they will attempt to recreate the effects._ "

            " _And? We knew this day was coming._ " My palms connect with his chest and I shove him back several feet. " _Sure it wasn't what you wanted, wasn't what I wanted but its done._ _Punishing her for something she didn't do won't make it right._ "

            His hand raises quickly and I suppress a flinch. With every word he spews my anger is being pushed toward a white hot seething hostility. " _Attacking Mythal was foolish. You almost died because of it. Part of you **is** dying!_ " Quickly he spins and walks away from me, hands flexing in rage.

            " _I am perfectly aware of the situation!_ " I scream, waving my hand in front of my left eye, " _I have a constant reminder!_ "

            " _So determined you are to end your life!_ " Laughter born of anger flows from his mouth, " _Every step you take, the actions and decisions you make—all of them are disastrous!_ "

            I stop listening right there, not because the words he is saying are unimportant. They speak volumes. That's what this is about. I forget, sometimes, how far back people's memories can span. The anger in my chest deflates as I reflect on his current anger and possible past triggers. This… bone he's gnawing right now isn't just about the fight I went through, it spans back to the time I was in the forest. And to everything in between. He isn't just mad at Neri, he's mad at himself for not seeing earlier.

            My words come back to me.

            _Bullshit! I'm calling bullshit!_

            Did they cut him deep? Does he think I blame him because he didn't _see_ who I was when we met? Even if he had I probably would have call him insane and _never_ come back. Tilting my head I try to imagine how that conversation would go down. I laugh at the absurdity of it all, him declaring his love because he's brash and impulsive. I would have hated him from the beginning. He would have shoved himself down my throat so far his head would have popped out my ass. Maybe it's a good thing no one recognizes me.

            It would have overwhelmed me when I arrived in this world. Would it have affected Andruil? Made her pause? Or would I not have lived through the experience? She was pretty interested in my Wolf and if she saw me as a challenge to be hunted, him a prize to be won…

            " _Marel!_ " He shouts my name. I jerk away from the scenario in my head and look at him.

            " _Oh sorry, what did you say?_ " I watch as his mouth opens and closes several times. A look of disbelief written across his face. " _I stopped listening when you hit the part about my disastrous decisions. You were finished, right?_ "

            His hands are thrown violently into the air and he makes to move past me.

            " _Oh good, you are done._ " I step into his way, " _Now you can choose to listen, or block me out like I did. Either way is fine, but I'm going to say this and you are going to be present for it._ " His eyes harden but he stops. " _What you did was **wrong**._ " My finger jabs into his chest. " _And for some reason no one is questioning your actions. That stops now. I am going to question every choice, every movement. I am going to be your Jiminy Cricket._ " His eyes narrow slightly. " _Neri is not responsible for me, neither are you. I thought I made that perfectly clear **decades** ago. I. Am. Not. The. Woman. You. Remember._ " My finger digs in deeper with every word. " _Stop treating me like her. You want to take your anger out on anyone, take it out on me. I caused all of this._ " I turn and start out the door, utterly sick to my stomach. " _And I'm sorry I stopped paying attention to you, that was rude of me but in my defense you were pissing me off._ "

            " _I would never hurt you that way._ " He whispers harshly. " _The thought of anyone-_ "

            " _Then why would you do it to Neri?_ " I break in. I've stopped in the doorway, my hand rests upon the stone arch, " _If you cannot do it to me, don't do it to anyone. That is what will separate us from them._ " My voice cracks at the end. " _The goal we have is important, but the ends do not justify the means._ " I hesitate a moment, " _Be better than they are. Draw a line in the sand and then refuse to cross it. Don't be **them**._ " Distain colors my tone on that last word.

            The steps I take away from him are silent. I run my consciousness over Neri before compressing it inside my chest. It is an ache, physical and deep. Like this I cannot feel him, nor he me. Pulling a shroud around me I vanish into the shadows and wonder when I will stop running away from this place. I know that leaving now is a mistake. But I cannot remain in this place. I _will_ return, my soul is here. But right this moment?

            Now I need oblivion. To submerge myself into something and not come up for air. I need to lose myself, in a task. Anything. The urge to run, wild and free is something that I do not have the strength to deny.

 

My fingers cling to the rock as I look at the ocean. It is spread out before me, vast and endless. But that is not why I have come to this place.

            Once Lyko asked where I would send the people when they were freed of their bonds. I had no answer for her then. If she could ask me now I would tell her here. It is secluded. Mountains raise high into the sky on all sides. The cliff I dangle from is the perfect place. Here I will cut out rock and throw it into the water below. This will be my fortress, my home. And not just my home, but a home to anyone seeking refuge. Here I will set wards, it will be a sanctuary.

            I throw myself into the work, pulling water from the ocean; directing it into crevices. There I freeze it. Slowly I chip away, molding it into the vision I have in my mind. Pillars are created. Holding up the rock above me.

            Because of what I am I attract attention from the local wild life. The birds sing for me, and the halla keep me company. When predators arrive I am quick to impress upon them they are not to harm any while in my halls. All are welcome here.

This place is slowly coming to life as I carve runes into the walls and floors. They adorn the arches and the roof. Every inch is inscribed in one way or another. Not all are protective in nature. Many are simply stories from Earth. Tales meant to inspire, to give hope. Others are simply children's tales, something for the young to read and fall asleep to. Murals of the night sky soon dot the roof of the dining room.

            I am careful to create large open spaces, rooms that number in the hundreds. With magic it is completed quickly. Still I have been gone for a long time. I am careful to send messages regularly. The hawks are happy enough to carry them back to the others. When they return they whisper to me; bringing a smile to my face when I hear of updates. But they are birds, and what they bring me is not always relevant.

            They tell me of the journey, what they ate. Preening under my praise of a job well done. Return notes have even started coming. Dread Wolf has _impressed_ upon Neri the importance of my return. I have no word directly from him because the birds do not like him. They say he demanded they reveal my location but they wouldn't give me up. So now my correspondence goes through Neri, and she fills me in on what is happening. Senna apologized even though she still does not know why I was angry with her. One letter I received from Neri contained words from Wolf boy. They had been directed at her. According to her he offered kinds words and he _apologized_ as well. That shocked me and brought a smile to my face.

            "And what are you doing missy?" I ask quietly as I pick up a cub, the mother watches closely but remains pacified. A paw is placed upon my face; pulling the cub closer to me I whisper nonsense into her fur, scratching behind her ears. She purrs lowly, eyes closed. "You're hungry. Has momma not fed you yet?" The mother chuffs at me and I laugh at her. "I suppose I should give you back so you can eat."

            Gently I set her down at her mother's feet. The cub joins her siblings that are already nursing. "They are beautiful." Reaching out I place a hand upon her head, "Keep them safe. Others will come, protect them too." The large cat pressed her head into my hand, bumping it for further affection. I relent and lay next to her; she rests her head upon my hip. Once the cubs are finished they crawl over to me and curl up between their mother and I.

            Standing I start toward the entrance. "Spread the word among the others." A roar climbs behind me as I walk. Soon a choir of wolves adds their voice to the noise. The people will be safe here. Now the real work begins.

            In the last letter I received there was disturbing news of my brother, Falon'din. Neri does not know all, for Solas has left the manor to address the situation. It is time to leave here and take care of my 'family'.

            Stepping from the ledge I shift. Feathers burst forth from my skin and my body shrinks. Between one breath and the next I have changed. Letting out a piercing cry I head in the direction that sings to my soul.

 

_I miss you so much._ The words are whispered between me and my slumbering soul before me. Dust has gathered upon every surface and still she sleeps. _When are you going to wake Lyko?_ I breathe deeply and speak out loud. "I've built us a home. A place that when all of this is over we can go and live in peace. It overlooks the ocean, and there are mountains that are capped with snow." I lay upon her stomach, my body rising and falling with every breath she takes. "I can't stay yet. There is work to be done my pretty girl. But I need you to wake up." The sniffles over take me, threatening to close my throat. My next words come out as a croak, "I can't do this without you. Please, _wake up_."

            The wards I set upon the room send a shiver through me and I meet them at the door. Closing it behind me.

            " _Lass, its good to have you back._ "

            " _I can't stay._ "

            " _I know._ " In her hands there is a letter, sealed. The sigil of a wolf emblazoned on the front. " _He left it for you._ " Nodding my fingertips close around it.

            " _What does it say?_ "

            " _None can open it but you._ " I glance at her and she smiles. The action causes her caramel eyes to shine with a purity I never saw before. " _When do you leave?_ "

            " _Now._ " I mutter as I break the seal and slide out the letter.

 

_My Heart,_

_War is dangerous. People can forget this easily, as I have. From the beginning you have proven time and time again that you are capable. As difficult as it was for me to accept, I see it now. Constantly you remind me that you are not the woman I remember. But with each look I took at you, she shone through. The compassion you have towards everyone, even those that you dislike, is her. Even the desire to get away is her._

_Yet it is not. Somehow you have become everything she was and more. I love you all the more for who you are now. I loved you before you changed, but you are what the world needs you to be. You are what you were made into, what **we** made you become to survive and are all the stronger for it. _

_Time is of the essence, the war is escalating quickly and we need you now more then ever. I pray to any being who is listening that you return and soon._

_Falon'din has wandered far from the path he and your brother once walked. His forces sweep across the land devouring all in his lust for more. Mythal has called the others to confront them, but I fear without your influence Dirthamen and Falon'din will not stop until they are struck from this world._

_You were right in your actions. Hiding you from the world was not the way. Where you are concerned, I am blinded. If you still wish to further our goals with me at your side, come to me._

The letter isn't signed. It doesn't have to be. It is obvious who it is from.

            My fingers dig into my temple as I stare at the words. Falon'din is waging war for more, and Dirthamen has followed him. I remember from our childhood that they were inseparable. Falon'din tolerating me because Dirthamen loved me. I don't know what Solas hopes I can accomplish, but if he believes I can help…

            " _Did he say where they went?_ "

            " _No lass, but reports are coming steadily along with rumors. They are to the south, east of where I found you with Lyko._ "

            " _That far?_ " I grunt out. That journey took me forever the first time around. With Lyko it was little more than a week's flight. I wouldn't be able to make that journey on wing. Biting my lip and stare at the wall. " _Neri, what would you say the quickest mode of travel is?_ "

            " _The Eluvians._ " She responds instantly.

            " _I always forget about them._ " I bite out, " _And here I was trying to figure out how to fly._ "

            " _It might be the wiser choice lass._ " My brows furrow as I look back at Neri. She sees my confusion and adds clarification. " _You have to walk the places in between. The Eluvian we have here does not connect directly to any of Mythal's temples. And that's where they currently are._ "

            " _And I do not know the pathways._ " A sigh of frustration escapes. " _Well, you'll just have to show me then._ "

            " _Me?_ "

            " _Get your shit, we leave in an hour._ " I turn back to the door. At her words though I am pulled to a halt.

            " _I have been forbidden from leaving the manor._ " All the shit he's put her through and still she blindly obeys.

            " _Why are you so loyal to him Neri? What did he do that you would allow him to do what he has done to you and still stay by his side?_ "

            From behind me I hear a sharp intake of breath. She is silent and for a moment I fear that she won't tell me and I'll be stuck flying myself out there. But then she speaks. " _I was nine._ " Her voice is raw, and I can hear a hint of tears in her voice. Out of respect I didn't know I had for her I don't turn around. Bitter laughter slides from her throat, " _I can still smell the filth of the market. Unwashed bodies packed in. So thick that you could taste it on your tongue. I was too young at the time to know what it meant, but I was scared anyway. Rough bristles dug into my skin as they scrubbed away the dirt. Looking at them you couldn't see their souls. So beaten they were. Numb, lost, detached. Fragments of themselves. The older ones understood._ " She sighs, " _I was one of the unlucky ones. He likes to buy them young. Believes it makes them more sadistic; more loyal._

" _I was a skinny thing, barely more than a babe. A perfect fit for what he was looking for. He bought me and two others that day._ " My fingers dug into the wood and I shudder at her words. I don't like where this is going. " _The training starts as soon as the children reach his home. We were kept isolated from each other. One of the women there told me she hoped I died instead of living the life that was laid out before me. The pain-_ " She sobs and my hand fists. I still don't turn around. " _It was everything. A constant companion. The only true thing in that place. When I was on the brink of breaking they would halt and hold me in that place. It went on for longer than I care to admit. The longer it takes to bring a child to that place the more he likes them. I won't go into details, I'll spare me and you that pain lass. But Dread Wolf found me there, and brought me back from the edge._

            " _I thank my lucky stars every day I live. You ask why I am so loyal? Because thousands of children still live that life, and they weren't as lucky as I was to get out when I did._ _Pray lass that you never meet one of his people. They are twisted hollow shells who know no kindness. They do unto others what was done to them. They make more from the children he brings them. It is a mercy to them, to be what they are. To the adults they show no mercy, they are quick and thorough; scraping every last scrap of useful information out of them. It is better to die, than be under their blade._ "

            " _Who?_ " I ask through clenched teeth, unable to get any other words out past the sorrow I feel in my heart. This was allowed in this world. It was sick and wrong. And I didn't even have all of the details.

            " _Geldauran._ " She whispers. " _I will be loyal and suffer through anything Dread Wolf can dish out because it doesn't hold a candle to what I have lived through. Here I am free and am making a difference, lass. I fight so that one day, no more children have to suffer his 'rebirth'._ "

            My head jerks down violently once and I open the door, " _Get your things Neri. We're going to put an end to him. And everyone like him. Starting with Falon'din._ "

            " _Aye lass,_ " her voice is still rough, " _Meet me at the smithy._ "

            Bile crawls up my throat. Horrible images float through my mind. A part of me believes that it would have been better for Neri to tell me what was done, at least that way my vivid imagination wouldn't run away with children being tortured in heinous ways. The other part is grateful, because what if the truth is worse than what I can imagine.

            Numbly I grab a bag and start to shovel clothes into them. I don't know how long this is going to take. Getting there should be relatively easy. I twist my now long hair up and away from my face, using several pins to hold it in place.

            Pressing a hand to Lyko's head I toss the pack over my shoulder and head for the smithy. When I arrive, Neri is standing there with a bulging bag. Her eyes are red, and her face is a little splotchy. Obviously the tale affected her deeply.

            " _Neri?_ "

            " _Yes lass?_ "

            " _I'm sorry._ " I pull her into a hug, " _There is still so much I don't know about this world. The horrors it holds._ "

            " _It's not all bad lass. Some of it is quite beautiful._ " Her head rests on my shoulder, her words muffled slightly. " _Come. Its through here._ " She steps back and turns to a solid wall. I watch as her hand draws a rune in the air, gently she grabs it between two fingers and lays it against the wood. The panel vanishes and reveals a room behind. It is small, just large enough for the mirror.

            It's the first time I've seen one. It is tall; at least three times my size. The mirror unnerves me. A mirror should reflect the room, but this one… its like it hasn't been completed. The surface looks dull, though it gleams. Stretching out my awareness I probe the magic surrounding it. The web it weaves is powerful; the threads are tightly woven in on each other. Construct magic is not a strong point for me. The idea of taking an object and imbuing it with enough mana to carry someone across the world is… terrifying. Almost like science fiction, but then again… everything about this world would be straight out of a science fiction novel on Earth.

            " _Ready?_ "

            " _I was born ready_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter MAY be up tonight. This one is a little short. Depends on if I finish writing it and am satisfied with it. If not, should go up tomorrow.


	15. Reunions are a Bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kinda ran away with me. Hope you enjoy!

A plume of smoke a mile wide rises in the distance. From here we can hear the sounds of battle. Everything living around us has already been burned; plants reduced to ash and the buildings still smolder. Everywhere I look husks of people, black and cracked, lay abandoned. Their mouths opened in a silent scream. Spirits, tender things that they are, will be drawn to this place. And they will be warped into something else. A perversion of what they were meant to be.

            " _How can anyone do this?_ " I whisper. Neri lays a had upon my shoulder, an attempt at comfort.

            " _This is what we are trying to end lass._ " Our breathing is shallow, we don't want to bring too much of this… place into our being where it can be carried with us. " _Can you make it the rest of the way?_ "

            " _You aren't coming with me?_ "

            " _No, my place is back at the manor. I'm to watch over Lyko, make sure that she is safe in Dread Wolf's absence._ "

            I let out a bitter laugh, that's why he forbade her from leaving that place. " _I'm grateful._ " Turning to her I place my hand to her stomach. " _This will let you pass through the wards,_ " mana flows down my arm and into her; branding her with my power. The purpose was twofold; she is now under my protection. I don't know if others would sense it, or if she herself will know, but now I can track her across the world and make sure she is safe.

            " _Tracking rune eh?_ " She laughs, " _I've seen it's like before. Don't trust me still I see._ "

            " _I do._ " I reply as I heft my pack into a more comfortable position. " _Or you wouldn't be able to get through the wards. That rune there is so I can find you if you ever need me. And to tell Lyko not to eat you on sight._ "

            " _For protection?_ "

            " _For better or worse, you are my people now Neri. I've saved you countless times, to me this makes me responsible for you continued existence. If I had not interfered in the forest with the red Vallaslin bastards you wouldn't be here. If I had not healed your wounds, permanent damage might have resulted from it._ " Sucking in a breath I pull a length of cloth out of the bag and wrap it around my face, tying it tight. " _I know your story now, and I know what you are fighting for. Specifically. I will see that you are able to carry out your desire, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming the whole way._ "

            " _And here I thought you weren't the sentimental type._ " My eyes follow her as she walks back up the steps of the ruined temple. Her hand comes up in farewell.

            " _Oh shut it you old hag!_ " I call out after. She laughs and lowers all of her fingers except the middle one. My own laughter joins hers. Still I stand in the same spot, until the dark haired elf has vanished back into the mirror. "Who knew that she would work her way into my heart?" I scoff and turn. "Fuck me; I've gone soft haven't I?"

 

The screams climb into the night sky, the fires roar higher and higher. I can see where they are camped. Bloody, beaten. Falon'din is resurrecting the fallen to aid him in battle. The spirits that have been called to this place have no choice but to submit to his will. Their screams are the ones that chill me the most. He has warped them. I can only hope that Battle was not in this place; that spirit is a friend.

            The Evanuris have gathered at the outskirts. A seething hatred fills me as I watch Andruil and her golden bow strike down corpse after corpse, thunder booms with every arrow that leaves string. Sylaise is attempting to heal the spirits, rip them from Falon'din's grasp. June is crafting weapons for them to use, I can see the power from my perch in the trees. Mythal and Elgar'nan wade into the battle, unafraid; struggling to reach the center of the field where both of my brothers lay siege to the world around them.

            And my Wolf, my Fen'Harel, is with them. His massive form with his six beautiful piercing blue eyes. Swift, he is. Moving through the tide of the dead, carving a way through for my parents. They move in perfect sync with each other, covering the others weaknesses. They are strong together. Separate they are powerful, but united? It is no wonder they took over the world.

            My hands flash out before me, weaving the air; compressing it. Once I have the perfect balance I throw them wide, the scene before me comes closer without moving. Here I have the chance to study the twins. They look the same to me. Older yes, but I can still see the young boys who held my hands as we danced through the forest. Their shining golden hair and green eyes. Not identical, but still close enough that they could be mistaken for each other if one did not know them on sight.

            What did my Wolf boy think I could do that they are not already? I am just a woman, already proven fallible.

            Standing in the tree I drop the magnification spell and leap from the branch, twisting in the air. My body shrinks, newly formed wings carrying me over the fray; sharp gaze locked onto Wolf boy. Cocking my head down so that my one good eye can follow his movements. When I am close enough I stop the compression on my soul; allowing it to fly free. A screech behind me; demonic and familiar breaks through the noise of battle. Andruil recognizes me. Diving quickly for safety I beeline straight for Solas. His howl is familiar and comforting. All anger I still harbored at him is washed away; he has changed again. A subtle note gone from his aura. His soul washes over me. Dropping the shifting I fall onto his back.

            " _Heya!_ " I call out. My feet spreading across his wide back as I find the best perch possible. " _Miss me?_ " Laughter rings from my throat at his grumble. He is still moving through the corpses, and in my desire to help a bow is pulled into existence. Decades of moving on a dragon back couldn't have prepared me more for fighting from his. I whisper into the arrows, imbuing them with ice and fire. They explode on impact, wreaking havoc on the walking dead. " _So darling, what is the plan?_ "

            " _Kill everything?_ "

            " _Eloquent_. _I like it._ " Another arrow flies from my bow; the resulting explosion freezes several corpses. Elgar'nan takes advantage and swings a mighty hammer, shattering them before they can recover. Sylaise's magic flows out to capture the spirits and bring them back from the brink; restoring what was lost to them. " _But I was thinking something a little more… I dunno, quicker?_ "

            He snorts, " _Of course you are._ " His body rears up and he slashes out with both claws, batting the corpses away. My own body reacts accordingly, crouching to dig fingers into his thick fur. Holding on for all I'm worth I ride out the attack, standing once he is back on all fours and shooting again into the sea before us. " _If you are looking for an elegant solution, perhaps reasoning with them could resolve the situation._ "

            " _You want me to **talk** to them?_ _Doesn't that sound like a 'disastrous decision'?_ " It sure as hell did to me! " _Just prance in there and what? Oh hello! I haven't seen you for three thousand years but I'm your long lost sister could you please stop destroying the world?_ "

            " _When phrased that way…_ " I can hear the rumble of laughter in his voice. " _What other choice is there though? There is no outcome that is pleasant for the twins. 'Be better than them' I believe it was?_ "

            Using my own words against me. Ass. " _So, drew the line did you?_ "

            " _Indeed._ "

            " _Fine, but if I die it's on you._ "

            " _Please do not jest like that, my heart._ " A small whine escapes him and it is heartbreakingly adorable.

            " _It is rather crude of me isn't it?_ " Something whizzes by me, too close for comfort. It is gold, and following its path I see Andruil staring at me. When she notices me looking at her she drags a finger across her throat then points at me. "That cunt." Swiftly I pull up my bow and send a return shot, lifting my hand I flip her the bird then smack my ass.

            Predictably she dodges the arrow with ease, and we can settle this _after_. When we aren't fighting through an ocean of burnt, smoldering corpses.

            " _Andruil!_ " Mythal screams. It seems mommy dearest noticed the little exchange. My gaze swivels toward her and I see pure rage in her eyes. Shrugging it off I remember what she did to me, my left eye twitches, still out of focus because of her.

            " _Alright Wolf boy! I'm off, wish me luck!_ " Dropping the bow I spin and jump into the air, once more shifting into a bird.

            Behind me I hear him call out; " _Come back to me._ "

            _I can't promise that. Nothing is certain in war. But I will do my best._ I don't say the words, knowing that watching me risk my life to end this peacefully is difficult for him. His letter rings in my ears. He sees me for who I am, but he still sees _her_ too. And she was soft, I am anything but.

            Around the twins is a clear spot, both of their eyes glowing blue. Falon'din is utterly focused on preventing the others from reaching them, while Dirthamen is determined to keep projectiles finding them. A large silver sphere surrounds them. I'm not even sure if I can make it through the barrier.

            My wings beat, slowing my descent toward them until I rest a top the barrier. It is solid under me. I have to draw Dirthamen's attention.

            " _Dirth!_ " I scream, fist slamming into the bubble under me. " _Dirthamen please!_ " I don't know how, but I know when those glowing blue eyes settling on my face. My hair is in disarray, falling from the bindings. I can only imagine that I am covered in fur and ash.

            " _It… cannot be._ " A single tear rolls down his face and he rushes toward me. When he is under me the barrier gives way and I fall straight into his waiting arms. " _Marel?_ " He whispers as he pulls me close, " _Mother said you'd returned, but I could not discern the truth for myself. Her power is too great._ " His arms twine around my back and he presses his face into my shoulder. Automatically I return the hug, it feels right. My heart tugs at the sound of the sorrow in his voice. I may not really remember much about him, but some part of me recognizes him and his touch. My brother. My _brother_.

            It was a heady thought, family that actually cared about me. And what's more he _recognized_ me.

            I cradle his head to me, slowly rocking us back and forth. " _Its alright Dirth, I'm here._ " My fingers run through his hair, " _Why are you doing this?_ "

            " _We are trying to bring order to the world. Falon'din believes that we can restore peace and prosperity to these people._ " His voice is full of conviction. My heart hurts, he actually believes he is doing a good thing here. " _And with you at our side we cannot fail! Your compassion and kindness will bring all to our glory!_ "

            " _No, Dirthamen. This isn't the way._ " I pull back, hands resting on his shoulders. " _Look around, what do you see?_ "

            " _Necessity. They did not want to follow. They needed to be shown the way. They serve now._ " The smile on his face is faltering. I shake my head, something is burrowing…

            " _What-_ " I take a step back, breaking contact completely with him. " _What are you doing?_ " A presence is invading my mind, sweeping through everything. Dragging oily fingers through memories no one has any right to witness. " _Stop, these are mine!_ "

            " _You've forgotten_." He whispers. He advances, his arms stretched out toward me, " _I'll help you remember. Show you the **truth**._ "

            A scream reaches my ears and the world goes white.

 

I smile up at my brother. The time spent with him is bliss. With these two the guards are dismissed, no one follows me around. With the twins I am safe. Mamae and babae are at a banquet. I am too young to attend and Dirthamen graciously agreed to keep me company. Falon'din would rather be at the party than with me, but the twins are inseparable. So he is here too.

            " _What shall we do today Marel?_ " Dirthamen asks as he passes me the wine skin. Soft fingers take it from him. I tilt my head down and look at the world sprawled out before us. We are sitting on a ledge. A yawning chasm beneath our feet. Falon'din is throwing rocks into the ravine.

            My hair, long and shimmering, falls over my shoulder. Canting my head I look at him from my left eye.

            _I shouldn't be able to see out of-_

            " _Marel?_ " Dirthamen holds out a hand to me. Delicately I place one of my own in his, the other lifts the skin to my lips and I drink. The wine is sweet upon my tongue.

            " _I am content here Dirth._ " I reply after I swallow. " _Do we have to do something?_ "

            " _Yes, stupid. I'm bored._ " Falon'din quips, throwing the next rock a little too hard.

            " _Falon, she isn't stupid._ "

            " _She isn't good for anything either._ " Comes his snide reply.

            " _Don't listen to him Marel._ " Dirthamen comforts. " _He's just upset because Sylaise won't give him the time of day._ " He bumps my shoulder with his own offering me a smile.

            " _I told you that in confidence!_ " Falon'din jabs, " _Stop blathering my secrets._ "

            " _So, little sister, what shall it be? Go to Arlathan? Stir up a little trouble? Run through the forests?_ "

            " _You would take me to Arlathan?_ " I ask with wide eyes, " _Mother won't let me go there yet._ "

            " _It will be our little secret_." He whispers, " _Right Falon'din?_ "

            " _Oh sure, keep her secrets._ " Falon'din's hand shoot out, tossing the last of the rocks in one quick movement. " _But yeah, it'll stay between us. Now lets go, I'm bored._ " He steps from the cliff, shifting into an owl and flying away on silent wings.

            " _Come on Mar, it'll be fun_." Dirthamen stands and holds his hand out toward me. Taking it in mine he pulls me to my feet, patience etched onto his face while I dust the dirt off my skirts. " _Better hurry, or Falon'din won't wait for us._ "

            I love the gleam in his eyes. It shines with love. Together we step from the cliff, him shifting into a raven, myself into a falcon.

            My heart soars as the world rushes by under me. A distant river visible at the bottom of the canyon. Falon'din is far ahead of us, but I know that he will wait for Dirthamen, even if he won't wait for me.

 

" _Do you like it?_ " Dirthamen asks; laughter evident in his voice. My head swivels in every direction, unable to take it all in at once and yet still striving to try.

            " _Its beautiful!_ " The streets are made of clear crystal, reflecting the light of the moon giving everything a soft glow. " _I never want to leave Dirth!_ " I spin, throwing my arms out; joy filling my young soul.

            My feet carry me from store to store. Lavish dresses, and fine shoes are displayed everywhere. It is sublime. Falon'din has wandered off, but Dirthamen, ever my protector, follows closely watching and laughing often.

            The sound of a pure voice rising up in the distance catches my attention. Spinning from the shop I dash through the streets looking for the source of the noise.

            " _Marel! Don't go too far!_ " Dirthamen calls out, " _We have all the time in the world to explore._ " The sound of his feet trying to keep up with me quickly fades. His larger frame cannot weave through the crowd as quickly as mine can. Still, there is no fear in me. This place is stunningly breathtaking.

            The noise draws closer, my heart races. Its just around the corner and I can't wait to see it. The woman, her voice is a thing of pure beauty and I wish to drink in her face while I listen to her ballet.

            " _MAMAE!_ "

            My body jerks to a halt. The sound is full of pain, my heart constricts. The boy, he is lost and frightened. He screams again, this time in pain.

            The woman is forgotten in the wake of this new development. What could cause such pain in the young boy in this place that he would cry out like that?  Curiosity overrides any other thought and before I know it I am standing before a grisly sight.

            A boy, no taller than my waist, is tied to a post. Red Vallaslin etched into his face. A man with purple eyes stands behind him, a bloody whip in his hand. My throat closes at the scene, tears burn my eyes.

            " _Your mamae doesn't care about you boy. You belong to me now._ " The markings are fresh on the boy's face. Tiny trails of blood still fall from where the needle went too deep.

            " _Stop!_ " The word flies from my throat, my hand thrown out toward the two. The man ignores me, lifting the whip again. " _No!_ " Warping the world around me I blink from one place to another, arms held out to the side as I shield the youngling with my body. A scream is ripped from me as the whip bites into my skin, tears born of a different kind of pain takes over.

            **_This is… familiar?_ **_A distant part of me thinks._

            " _What are you doing cur!_ " The man bellows, his hand closing around my arm. His grip is tight and he pulls me to my feet, spinning me to face him. " _This is none of your business._ " His voice is strange.

            My eyes scan the crowd and I see Falon'din standing in the background. His emerald eyes are watching the scene. I cry out to him but he just stands there looking at me with disgust.

            " _You should learn your place woman._ " The man raises his hand to strike me and I wonder how all the people in the place can't interfere with something this heinous.

            Another man materializes out of the crowd, his hand stopping the other from falling upon me.

            " _That would be unwise Geldauran,_ " he speaks. I close my eyes and let out a sob, Dread Wolf.

            " _And what do you know of it Dread Wolf. The boy is mine, I can do with him what I wish._ "

            " _But not to young Marel here. Mythal and Elgar'nan would be most displeased to learn that she has come to harm by your hand._ " Dread Wolf roughly shoves him back, breaking his hold on me and stepping between the two of us.

            " _My sister needs to learn the truth of the world._ " Falon'din's voice rings out, " _It is not your place to stop her lessons._ "

            " _And you would watch her come to harm?_ " Dread Wolf asks.

            _This is when… I've heard this tale before. Solas, my wolf. This is…_

            The world around me freezes. I look down and sneer at what I'm wearing. A freaking dress? Really? God I was such a priss.

            "I know what this is Dirthamen!" I challenge, "Rooting through my memories, plucking them from the depths of my mind! What do you hope to accomplish with this?"

            Why show me this particular memory? Or did he not have control over it? Was it to show me the horrors of the world? Well, if the asshole with purple eyes was Geldauran then I already had beef with him. He gave me the scar on my side and got off on torturing little children. So what was the _point?_

            Falon'din didn't step in; he didn't give two shits about that little boy, or me. How was this supposed to sway me to their side?

            It doesn't matter; I need to get out of here. Break free of the geas Dirthamen placed on my mind. Because that is where I am; locked in my mind remembering things that are better left in the past. Why was everyone so insistent that I return to the woman I used to be?

 

With a scream of desperation I break free; the noise echoing up into the sky and floating off into the distance. Part of me tugs to the north, seeking a dormant portion of my being. Dirthamen stumbles backward in surprise.

" _That was rude._ " Other memories are floating to the surface. Running through the forest, exploring different regions. Fleeing the castle, ditching my guards to find solace in the arms of Solas. Traveling the pathways with the twins at my side. Walking into darkness to see what is on the other side. " _Did I ask to remember that sniveling little coward?_ " I run a hand over my face, dispelling the dirt from my skin.  

            " _You should not have been able-_ "

            " _Yeah, well I've fucking grown since then._ " I snarl, " _And I don't appreciate people rifling through my mind._ "

            " _But Marel, you are meant to be-_ " He breaks off as I take a swing at him.

            " _That woman is **dead**. Okay? Fucking drop it! And what you are doing is WRONG!_ " I advance toward him. " _Look around you, legions of our people are dead, more are dying. All so that Falon'din can get off on a power trip. And you are helping him accomplish this._ _Its disgusting. What happened to you? You used to be so caring!_ "

            My heart hurts, anguish that I haven't felt in a very long time. Something has warped the mind of my brother. The one that I loved with all my heart, the one who so frequently stood between me and the others; keeping me safe when they would rather see me dead. It was painful to see the memories of him flash quickly before my eyes, but he couldn't suck me in again.

            " _What happened to my innocent Marel?_ "

            " _The world, what happened to my protective brother?_ "

            " _You were sent away to heal. To be hidden and protected. It was I who approached Power to save your life, seeing the truth. Secrets were traded amongst my followers to gain enough favor to carry you safely across the world. It was I who prolonged your life. I did it for you, because I loved you!_ "

            " _Oh, so instead of keeping me here you threw me into another world where I couldn't remember a fucking thing?! You think that a kindness? I was alone, with no one to look to for comfort! How is that love, you banished me from everything I knew._ " My voice cracks, I know that it was done to save my life, but I still don't understand how sending me away was supposed to accomplish that.

            " _They were hunting you, not just Geldauran, but Daern'thal. Dread Wolf was sinking his filthy claws into you! You were naïve and pure, we weren't going to allow you to be corrupted by them!_ " There is a new look in his eyes. Deranged. He is so sure that he and only he could see the truth of things. " _How could I stand by and watch while my little sister was being ripped away?_ "

            " _Oh! So because I was growing into something you didn't like you sent me away?_ "

            " _No!_ "

            " _Funny, because that's what I heard! People grow, they change. We may stand still in a sea of time, unchanging, but there are new discoveries every day! We wake different, every breath we take is a change inside us. You are all stuck on the past, on what we lost instead of what we can gain! You two are looking for domination; not peace!_ "

            " _You know nothing Marel! Still such a naïve girl!_ "

            " _So, you see what I see finally Dirthamen._ " Falon'din speaks, his gaze turning to my face. " _She will stop us, on this quest._ " His hand lifts in my direction, and there is a tightening in my stomach. " _If you will not accept Dirthamen's present of purity, may you wallow in anguish_."

 

"Nana?" I call out as I step into the main part of the house. Koi's car is still outside and it's rapidly approaching four in the morning. But Nana is an adult and able to make her own decisions. However I figure she would be waiting for me, not hiding in some corner of the house. "Nana I'm home."

            _Please don't be sucking face,_ I think as I move deeper into the living room. The TV is on and _Game of Thrones_ is playing to an empty room. The popcorn I heard popping over the phone is scattered over the floor. I tsk and start to clean it up.

            **_This is wrong… not… Earth?_**

            Once the larger pieces have been collected and tossed into the bowl I slouch over to the closet and pull out vacuum. The hum is loud and I want to scream in frustration. Nana is getting laid and here I am picking up her messes. Talk about major role reversal.

            Nana is constantly taking care of other people though. It is a struggle to remember that. Lives lived so quickly. Gone in the blink of an eye. She deserves happiness but I hope that she hears the rumble of my cleaning and hurries the fuck up.

            After all, I only came home to appease her. In attempt to be what she wants… no _needs_ me to be.

            **_I don't need to be anything! I am me_** _. The voice is small, but there. Something is-_

            I toss the popcorn into the trash and rummage through the cabinets for something to eat. I'm not really hungry just bored and looking for something to do.

            Nothing is appealing at this moment but I pull a glass from the shelf and fill it with milk and tuck a pack of Oreos under my arm. With my foot I nudge the fridge closed and turn toward the living room again.

            As I pass Nana's room I kick the bottom of her door twice.

            "I know you two like each other but come on!" I call through the wood. There is no rustle or giggles from the other side. I kick the door harder. "Nana! I told you I would be home in twenty! Is Koi really such a quick lay?!"

**_This is not real!_ ** _I claw my way free of the memory._

_"You cannot escape me, I am death incarnate." The words are a snarl. Falon'din is still in my mind. The world spins and he wrenches me into another memory._

 

I scream, lost, alone. Water laps over my legs, sand beneath my form. Blood, hot against my skin, seeps quickly from the wound on my side.

            Where am I?

            Who am I?

            A light bounces in the distance, and I hear someone screaming. The world fades in and out, and a new scream reaches my ears. It is me, I think. Rolling over I call out to them.

            " _Help!_ " It is weak, my voice. My hand tries to close the wound. Something… is missing. But I cannot remember what it was. " _Please! I am here!_ "

            The light grows closer, it is blinding. The sound of foot falls quickly advancing toward me is a cherished sound. A woman with dark skin and dark eyes slides to a stop next to me. She covers her mouth in horror. Looking over her shoulder she calls out in a strange langu-

            **_Is that all you've got? Childs play._**

_"Then I will work harder, sister dearest."_

 

**Reckless.** Lyko whispers, it's difficult to hear and she is fading fast. Too much blood lost. I pour myself into her, attempting to seal the wound from a distance. **I will fight to the last.**

            Her head snaps forward and she closes her jaws around the other's neck. The Goddess rakes with her back legs, giving a shriek that is either pain or outrage. More blood is in the air as the finer scales on Lyko's underbelly are ripped free and the flesh under them is torn open.

            _I'm almost there! Hold on!_ I command, unwilling to let her go.

            **I love you little one.**

            "Do not say goodbye!" The words are ripped from my own ears the instant they are out of my mouth, the sound carried up into the clouds behind me. She didn't hear me. My left eye goes dark and I scream in anguish. "NO!"

            **_I don't want to see this!_** _Struggling I rip the memory away. **I'm going to eat your heart**_ **brother _._**

_"Shall I show you another?" A gleeful cackle reaches the inside of my mind. "Is this preferable to his innocence?_ "

 

A roar rolls over me, jarring me like an earth quake. Giving me the strength to pull myself from those memories. With each breath I claw myself further into the now, pushing down the shattered fragments of my past.

            My left eye goes black for a moment, before the odd shapes and fuzzy nature retakes its place. Pale hands dig into the ash under me and it takes a moment before I realize that they are _my_ hands.

            Blackness flashes again and the roar splits the night; a smile spreads across my face. When my sight returns again I can see with perfect clarity. The dead horde is much, much larger then I originally calculated. They span across the burnt remains, and some of them pour from the untouched forests. In the center of it all are three forms.

            My head snaps up and looks over my shoulder. Standing I throw my hands out and toss my chin into the air. The world slows and two perspectives play out before my eyes.

            _Sky above swirls, a storm ready to break. Lightning flashes across the sky._

_Small elf, black hair trailing out behind her. The sound of a drum pounding, ash swirling into the air around her. Hatred for the two males next to her._

I brace, knowing what is coming next.

            "Take me." I whisper.

            " _What are you-_ "

            Massive claws snap around my back, lifting me into the air before spiraling higher. Each beat of her wings a blessing, the sound utterly missed.

            **Gone for two minutes and the world burns.**

            "Down!" I command, squiggling in her grip. "Down!" I can't be in her grasp. I have to inspect her, check the wounds; look into her black eyes. Touch her scales, make sure she is whole.

            A sob rips through me as she does as I ask. She hovers for a moment, spinning and breathing a wall of ice around us. Buying us time against the legion of the dead.

            "You're here." Tears fall fresh and she nudges my stomach with her nose. "I-" words clog in my throat and I shove her aside to lift her wing. Running my fingers over the scar, the scales have started to regrow. "You… you…" I return to her chest and push against her glimmering self in vain. "BITCH! You l-left me!"

            **I know, but you were with me.** Her voice is soft and exactly as I remember. Lyko's snout presses against my back and pulls me into her. **You kept me here, when I would have gone forever.**

"H-how?" Snot and tears fall freely down my face. A hand comes up and wipes the gunk away. "I coul-ldn't find you."

            My left eye shows my face as she pulls away, I look horrid. She blinks once and I release the bond. The chunk of my soul inside her slams back into my body almost forcibly knocking me off my feet.

            **The bond, part of you was in me. You woke me in your desperation. I felt your fear, and saw your tormentors.** She lifts her snout and glares at the wall of ice, as if she could see through it. **They will pay in blood for what they have done to you.**

            I grab a tooth and yank her head toward me again, though the only reason she faces me is because she chooses to. "You don't ever say goodbye like that again." I shake my hand, still wrapped firmly around the wicked fang, "You hear me?"

            **Is that a command I hear?**

            "You bet your scaly hide it is!"

            She laughs, nose coming closer to my face. Gently she brushes her chin against my cheek, still though my face is pushed to the side. **I love you too.**

            "I missed you so goddamned much." I whisper to her and wrap my hands around her snout. "Now let's go kick ass babe." Rushing around her I reach for the chain and haul myself onto her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos appreciated! Working on the next chapter as I post this!


	16. Loud Mouth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So its been over a month and I'm sorry for the absence. Real life loves beating me down and I've been writing something on the side to make me and my friends smile which kind of took over. And I've had this for a bit, but really struggled with it because portions of it just seem clunky to me but my continued staring at it isn't making it any better. 
> 
> Enjoy, and thank you for reading. That means so much to me.

Chapter 16

 

My legs tense and release as she shifts under me; whole body swaying with each step. Her claws digging into the ice wall as she climbs over. The once raging battle is starting to dwindle. The pocket of space at the middle is gone, along with the twins.

            **Cowards!**

            "The others will not let them get far." Leather gloves groan as my fingers tighten their grip on the chain. "Right now though, end the dead and release the spirits."

            She surges into the night sky, ice falling from between her jaws. With Falon'din gone the dead wandered haplessly, no longer the single minded entity they had been. The spirits released from their torment sought an end, and Sylaise was there to heal them, to piece them back together.

            In the end, it was quick. At least, by _their_ standards.

            Mythal and Elgar'nan are gone. Off after their sons. They gave chase quickly, refusing to let them continue on this tirade. Which was perfectly fine with me. By now, it may have already ended.

            _Do my brothers live?_ I wonder. Heart clenching when I thought of either Dirth or Falon gone from this world. They may not be perfect, but once we had been close.

            It was funny though, I did not remember Falon'din hating me so much. The memory of the young twins calling me crybaby as I ran toward them washes over me. Falon'din once _loved_ me. What had changed him?

            Thoughts are interrupted when something slams into me, ripping me off Lyko's back. A golden shaft sticking from my shoulder. The pain is more than what I remember. My mouth stretches in a silent scream as I fall through the air, one hand dangling uselessly, the other trying to pry the fucking arrow out of my shoulder. The world spins in an endless cycle of sky and ash.

            **Emma!**

            Jaws, hot and damp close around me. They are gentle. I am still falling, though it is controlled. There is a jarring second when we hit the ground. Then ever so softly I am released from the jaws and a man kneels at my side.

            " _Lovely weather, eh?_ " I gasp as I wrench the arrow out.

            " _Quite._ " His tone is dry. " _Are you alright?_ "

            " _I've had enough experience with these wonderful trinkets._ " Though I am quick to drop the shimmering thing. Echoes of lightning trail up my arm, faint but there. " _I could do with never being shot again. What are the odds of getting that bow away from her and breaking it?_ " I push him back and roll over to my knees. The earth shakes slightly, dust and other _unmentionable_ things drift into the air and I am glad for the kerchief around my face. I really don't want to breathe this stuff in.

            Lyko's snout rolls me back over and she inspects the wound for herself; her wings out in a protective stance.

            "I'm fine." I promise and shove at her face.

            **She shot you.** She sounds incensed.

            "That tends to happen when we are in the general vicinity of each other." Slowly I pat the side of her face, "I was expecting it. If she hadn't I would have been disappointed. I was her _favorite_." The sarcasm is not wasted on the two around me. Even if Solas couldn't understand me, the raised eyebrow signifies he understands the intent of them.

            " _Andruil has lost herself._ " Solas extends a hand toward me, my hand slides into his without hesitation. " _She walks the pathways of the void. Her hunts have taken a darker turn in the last several hundred years._ "

            " _And… no one has done anything?_ "

            " _She was not hunting one of us._ "

            " _Uh, please don't lump me in with them._ "

            " _Lump you in or not, you are one of 'them'._ " He sighs and passes a hand over the wound on my shoulder. The pain vanishes and I am grateful. " _It is unfortunate that we do not get to choose our family_."

            " _You can say that again._ "

            Lyko's jaws snap shut around another projectile. The demonic screams of the crazy huntress rises into the air. **Perhaps we should end her?**

            " _Draw a line in the sand._ "

            " _And then refuse to cross it._ " Solas completes my words.

            **It seems that I have missed an important event in your life.**

            "That happens when you feign death." I reply snidely, still wounded at her even though it is decidedly _not_ her fault.

            **_However_** _-_ she continues, **it is not advisable to allow such a being to roam free. What if she targets someone less… capable than yourself?**

            "Did… I don't know if that was an insult or a complement." I state as I eye her with a cocked head.

            **Take it however you wish but-**

            "I will be better than they." I interrupt, "Something is happening with the Evanuris. Solas says that Andruil has changed, and Falon'din..." I trail off, unsure. "Falon'din used to walk with the elders and share wisdom with them. He did not run wild across the world slaying everything in sight because it didn't _bow_ to him."

            **I saw the vision you had of him. He _watched_ as that man hurt you.**

            "I am not-"

            " _Perhaps there is another time for this conversation?_ " Solas cuts in. " _Preferably when someone is not trying to riddle us with holes?_ "

            " _Us?_ " I ask and look around. Sure enough, several arrows lay scattered around. Some of them are sliced in half, others are whole. " _Is she shooting at…_ aw hell na!" Scrambling to my feet I pull a bow into existence and return fire.

            Whatever she had been before, she is even more terrifying now. Black armor clung to her, form fitting; moving with her as if it was a living breathing artifact. Sickly gray smoke curls off of its surface. Shot through it is a deep crimson color; it circles around her like lightening.

            Ghilan'nain steps between the arrow and Andruil, a shining silver shield in her hand. A visceral smile upon her face. Sylaise and June turn to look at Wolf boy and I. Behind me I can feel Lyko rearing up.

            " _I do not believe this is a battle we can win, my heart_." Solas whispers to me, " _They are loyal to each other, even now when one of them is…_ " he trails off and gestures at Andruil.

            " _Right, well then. How do we get away?_ "

            Slowly the four of them start to approach us. Anxiety spikes in my stomach. I distinctly remember trying to get away from Mythal and she just turned into a dragon and chased my ass across the sky. It was the divine form, I really don't want these four to turn into dragons and follow us home.

            " _I will distract-_ "

            " _No._ " I snort, " _You will not do this alone._ _If we can't take them together, what on earth makes you think you can take them alone?_ "

            " _Easy lass!_ "

            Snapping around I look behind me. Neri is running toward us with several others, Senna is among their ranks. They are all dressed for battle and something in my heart tugs at the sight of them.

            " _We figured you could use some help._ " Neri explains as she stops next to us, " _When Lyko awoke and ran off we knew she'd find you. It took us a bit longer then I'd like but we're here lass._ "

            " _No dying._ " I demand as I drop the bow to pull two swords into my hands.

            " _Mistress Marel._ " Abelas greets.

            " _Can we not with the Mistress thing? Makes me feel like I'm tying you up in naughty ways._ " I wink at Abelas. " _And I'm so telling her you read her children's stories!_ "

            Abelas makes a pained nose at the back of his throat.

            **I am aware.** Lyko intones as a ball of frost leaves her jaws. If a dragon could smile I swear that's the look Lyko has on her face at this moment. **It was quite adorable having the elf read me tales of his youth.**

            "He called you his friend." I mention as the four of them reach us and battle explodes all around us. Andruil hangs back, still shooting arrows from that bow of hers. 

            The battle is bloody. I haven't even made it to Andruil and I'm already bleeding from a myriad of cuts. My mana surges and I wash it over each and every one, dispelling the pain and sealing the wounds. Solas is at my side the entire time. Lyko is too large to enter the fray so she provides support from the edges, her tail lashing out now and then to keep the Evanuris before us on their toes.

            Abelas intercepts an arrow that has my name on it. Neri appears behind Andruil, how she got there I have no idea. Twisting I turn my attention back to my own fight against Ghilan'nain.

            " _She's gone crazy!_ " My words demand attention as I spin away from that shield. " _If you love her, you will help us._ "

            I honestly don't give two shits if _they_ walk away from this fight, but my people? They had better come home in one piece. Anxiety spikes again, is this the day I make my first kill?

            Spinning I lash out with a foot, snarling when Ghilan'nain slams that damned shield down on my leg. Solas steps forward, sliding his own swords into the place where she had been. Magic surges all around me, some of it sings with a note of purity but there is one source that is soured. My face snaps in the direction of the impure note.

            Of course it is Andruil. Who else could it be?

            Time slips away, as it always does in this place. Enough time has passed that Mythal and Elgar'nan have returned. Their figures stand between us, fire washing over us, vengeance cooling our anger—as strange as it sounds.

            " _That is enough Andruil_." Father belts out. Mythal stands at his side. Dropping my swords I turn to take in my people. Senna is wounded, her hand presses to her stomach. Neri is there though to fix the damage. Abelas has drifted to Mythal—I refuse to think of her as 'mother' or his 'master', yeah I'm still sensitive—and he is standing behind her, ready to intervene if anything should go wrong.

            Solas, my beloved wolf, is standing between Andruil and I. Stupid, stupid wolf. I don't want him between us, I want him beside me. Somethings will never change it seems.

            " _She is mine._ " Andruil points past Solas toward me. I make to step out from behind him but he moves with me.

            " _'She' belongs to no one!_ " I snarl instead, unable to shake the protective Wolf Boy.

            " _Marel is mine._ " Solas intones at the same time. I stifle the urge to shove him. He turns his face to give me a small smile. I've heard it before, I 'belong' to him. Whatever. I am my own woman, he may be my… what exactly was he? Boyfriend? Mate? Had we been betrothed?

            I feel like this has been answered before but I can't remember when. I know that we weren't married, but… what _had_ we been before? Ugh, this is going to drive me crazy until I figure it out. Seriously, I can't keep on like this. Whatever we are needs to be defined. He obviously doesn't want me seeing anyone else, has _he_ been faithful? Are we _going_ to get married?

            These are the things a girl needs to know. I being that 'girl'.

            **Are you even paying attention?** Lyko questions, apparently she's seen the vacant look on my face.

            "Did I miss anything interesting?" I ask in English because I'll be damned if I let _them_ know I was daydreaming about a honeymoon on a tropical island.

            Wolf boy knows though. He _knows_ and is giving me that look. His disappointed look. I shove my tongue out at him and he sighs into the palm of his hand.

            " _Is it so difficult to pay attention my heart?_ " He asks quietly as he slips an arm around my shoulders and pulls me forward. Neri and Senna step forward as well. Solas cocks his head slightly and eyes Neri. " _You took her_."

            " _'Took her'? What am I, a slaver?_ " I grouse as I settle into his side, pressing the side of my face into his chest. Smells nice. " _I simply offered her **protection** from everyone._ " I glare up at him, happy as I am to be here he needs to know that I'm serious.

            " _Ah…_ " He clears his throat, chin jutting out a little, " _Yes, that… will not be happening again._ "

            **What will not be happening again?**

            "Him beating his people senseless because they failed him." I state bluntly. Lyko lets out a little growl and attempts to pry me away from him. "He isn't going to _beat_ me!" I laugh.

            " _They aren't even paying attention to us any longer_." Sylaise points out, a slight wistful tone in her voice. She glances sideways at June and then down at her hand. On her finger there is a spot that used to hold a ring. Do they still exchange such trinkets in this world?

            Interesting.

            Why am I suddenly thinking about marriage all the time? Weird.

            " _Sorry!_ " I call out to her, " _Not my intention. So are we done with the little war? Can I go home now?_ "

            " _You promised to speak to your mother once the dragon was awake._ " Elgar'nan calls out as I start to turn. I pause and think back to what I said.

            " _I believe my words were… 'I'll consider'?_ " I turn to look at Solas who can't hide the disapproval in his eyes, " _Isn't that what I said?_ "

            " _Marel-_ " Mythal starts.

            " ** _That_** _is Marel?!_ " Ghilan'nain shouts. The disbelief is evident in her voice. " _Dread Wolf has hid your own daughter from you?_ "

            I can see through her in a New York minute. " _Now you just stop right there._ " I point at her roughly, " _Stop trying to cause a rift. Ya'll are acting stupid right now and I think we just need to take_ -"

            " _We do not take orders from you._ " June interrupts me.

            " _How very astute of you_." I chirp back, " _I don't **want** you taking orders from me. No one should take orders from another. Though it still doesn't change the **advice** I'm giving you. Go home, bang your wife,_ " I point to Sylaise, " _because she looks desperate for attention._ " Solas sighs again into his hand. " _Andruil? Grow the fuck up, nothing belongs to you. Ghilan'nain, the sun does not shine out of Andruil's ass._ "

            Solas clamps a hand over my mouth. One of Lyko's claws surges forward and wraps around me, pulling me back to her.

            **Enough little one,** she demands, **you are going to incite a fight again.**

            "So what?!" I growl, flailing as she starts to climb into the air. "They totally deserved everything I said. Put me down you-" I twist trying to look down at the scene under me. None of them are fighting. "Stupid pig headed… how can they stand there and call each other _family_? They disgust me."

            Neri laughs as she leans down. Both her and Senna are on the back of Lyko. Senna is clinging to a spike for dear life while Neri looks a little more comfortable than the last time she was on her back.

            " _Lass, you're going to be the death of Dread Wolf_."

            " _That isn't funny_." I shoot back at her, my hand clasping in hers as she pulls me up onto Lyko's back. It isn't necessary but the gesture is a kind one. " _Don't joke about that. Is it okay that we're leaving him down there?_ " I cast another worried look at the vanishing scene. " _Lyko, do a drive by, we can still get him_."

            " _Master Dread Wolf made it explicitly clear we were to get you back to the safety of the manor_." Senna looks a little green around the gills to me. I glare at her.

            " _And we are letting him put his life in danger to get us out?_ "

            " _Easy, lass._ " Neri places a hand on my back. " _He is no longer in danger. Not with Lady Mythal there._ "

            Biting back a growl I concede. Even my own dragon isn't listening to me. "Whatever." I huff out and plop onto her back. " _I just want to sleep_."

 

I sigh into my bed. Well _his_ bed, because mine was replaced. He lives in my room. But that side of the bed is empty. Because he was still an overprotective ass.

            I try to remember how long we'd been gone, how long it took for Mythal and Elgar'nan to come back to the fight. I can't. Neri returned with a plate of food, which I promptly devour. Lyko left earlier, wanting to stretch her wings without rushing toward a destination or a rescue mission. I decline to go. I really did want to sleep.

            Closing my eyes I slip into a dream, it's a bar back on Hawaii. Nothing large, it isn't a club where rave music is thumping out and black lights are everywhere. Its seriously a bar, stools and beer and bikers and pool tables.

            Sliding a pool cue into my hand I move around the table and sink several balls into the different pockets. Lifting a beer to my lips I take a drink, sometimes I miss the simple things from Earth. Shrugging I set the bottle down and tap a pocket with the tip of my cue and proceed to drop a ball into it.

            A smile drifts across my face. Truth slides into the picture and just hovers on the edge. It doesn't participate, or judge, just watches. Which is fine. I don't really want interaction right now.

            Which _doesn't_ happen because in slides Dirth and Falon. Wrinkling my nose I turn away from them and take another drink from my beer.

            "What do you want?" I ask, there isn't a language barrier here in the dreaming world.

            "To… apologize." Dirth sounds confused, like the world doesn't make sense and why should he apologize to anyone.

            "Do you know why you need to?" I inquire as I toss a cue at him. He looks at it for several seconds before I grab another and continue shooting balls into holes.

            "I—yes." He tries to copy my movements but they are awkward. Sighing I move around the table, gesturing for him to try again. I adjust several of his limbs, crooking his finger just so before adopting the same stance. I show him how to do it. He still fails, but it is less spectacular than the last one. "Falon'din and I were… wrong."

            "You don't sound so sure about that."

            "Stop picking on him Marel, he's trying." Falon'din snarls from his corner.

            "What the fuck did I ever do to you?" I snap as I turn to him. "Huh? Did I piss in your porridge when we were younger? Give me a reason because I sure as hell can't remember."

            He continues to glare at me. Its like his mouth is glued shut.

            "What do you want from me?" I press, "You came into _my_ dream."

            "He is here, because I am here." Dirthamen explains.

            "Of course he is." I snarl as I cross to the bar. Leaning over I yank something harder from the top shelf. "Man, I wish people could get drunk in dreams." Popping off the cork I drink deeply, it burns so good. "Okay, you've delivered your apology. You can go now."

            My hand snaps to the door.

            "You wish for us to leave?"

            "I wish for my brothers of my childhood, not this sulking 'mother-beat-my-ass' shit."

            Falon'din mumbles under his breath. I don't quite catch what he said.

            "What did I steal your girlfriend?" I snap at him as I spin. His faces pulls down into a glower. "You've got to be shitting me." My hand comes up to swipe over my face. "Right, Sylaise, you loved her. What did I set her up with June?"

            "So you do remember."

            "No, apparently you're just a petty asshole who holds grudges against family members over _girls_." I slam back another shot. It still doesn't do anything but it tastes like I remember. "I mean, come _on_ who does that kind of shit. I was what…" I try to calculate in my head. Oh how it hurts, "How old am I?" I look around, the dream has shifted.

            "Let's take a trip down memory lane?" Falon'din suggests, his arm looping through mine. "It wasn't simply a woman, it was other things." His voice holds a sickening note, sour like Andruil's from earlier.

            "I-" Spinning I look for the bar, "I want to go back."

            Dirthamen did not come with us. That alone has my stomach churning. Falon'din and Dirthamen are with each other _always_.

            Why does it feel like Falon is trying to kill me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated. Enjoy the last half of your week!


	17. Long Time Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah sorry about the two month absence on my part. That is no bueno for me. But like I said I'm working diligently on a different story for me and my friends. If I get the go ahead from both of them it will probably make its way on here.
> 
> This is a shorter chapter than I normally do, but the next part--I hope--is going to be rather long so I wanted to break it up a little.
> 
> And WOO! Over a hundred kudos and so many views! The comments make my day, and when I'm feeling bad I go back and read them. The feedback is amazing and you guys ROCK! Thank you so very much for reading this story.

Falon'din leads me into what feels like an abyss. Sounds echo off the walls, steadily making their way back to us. The noise is horrifying because it is nothing more than amplified breathing. My pulse quickens as I twist away from Falon.

            "What is this place?" I hiss as I turn to keep him in my sights. "What do you have to prove to me? I barely remember you."

            "Alas," his gaze is fixed on my face, "dear sister… you may not remember, but the world does." His hand shoots out, painting on the black surrounding us. Something like a movie plays out several scenes, rushing though them before settling onto a specific moment. "There was a time that my followers knew your true face."

            "My true face?" I snort, though it feels like something is crawling across my foot. Animal lover I may be, but this did _not_ feel like any animal I've ever seen or touched in my very long life. "Oh go on, tell me I was a secret bitch and make my night."

            "Unclean." He growls lowly, like he is seconds from ripping my throat out. "Unfit, unwanted, undesired." Each sounds worse than the last, something is pounding in my ears and I cannot, for the life of me, find the way out. "You are a stain on our family, not worth the breath you breathe."

            And suddenly I can't. My lungs have frozen, I can't even speak let alone get a small whisper of air. My hands claw at my throat as I struggle to wrench myself free of my brother's influence. I knew he hated me, but this was taking it a little far, wasn't it?

            Spots dance in front of my eyes, I never did ask what would happen if I died in the Dream. Would I simply die in the Waking as well? Or would something else happen. The Great Dreamers of this age were quite capable of killing people in their sleep, I knew this… I just didn't know what _my_ fate would be.

            "Fa-" I gurgle as I drop to a knee. The warmth of my blood coats my fingers, my hand flails out, trying to take control of the Dream; to bring me back to the safety of the bar. "Ple-" the word is shallow and my chest hurts from forcing that little bit of air out my throat.

            I don't know if this is the end, it feels anti-climactic. Almost as if my life had been leading up to something other than… well this. That I would pass on the edges of a dream, no one knowing what exactly happened to me. Except for Dirthamen, but something tells me that he wouldn't turn on Falon.

            That swirl of dark energy I felt back on the battle field is more prominent here. It is almost as if _that_ is what is clogging my lungs, preventing me from taking in the sweet breath of life.

            My lungs are burning and my vision has narrowed to two tiny spots of light. I know my hand is in front of me but I am unable to make it out. I can feel my hand clench but I can't feel the ground under it. Something bites into my knees, and it feels like it draws blood but I don't feel the pain.

            When suddenly my ears pop and cold washes over me. I throw my head back and gasp for air. Each breath is dragged in, painfully. I fall on my side before sprawling on my back, my chest constricts and releases in one of the most intense muscle spasms I've ever experienced. Lungs protest at the sudden influx of oxygen causing me to cough.

            I slap the ground repetitively and relish the way the earth feels beneath my fingers. Cracking open my eyelids I look around. No longer is it dark. It is blindingly bright, scenes of me play out in every corner. It looks like… my life. On display. Here.

            "What the actual fuck." I grumble brokenly as I push up to my knees.

            There are more memories that I could ever grasp again in my life time. Falon'din has painstakingly sifted through the Dream to gather these images here, and now he pulls forth the ones where I am… less than charitable.

            Falon'din did not believe that I had ever been sweet and innocent. I do not know what I was before, but… could I have been this woman he was painting before me? Guards came and went, carrying scraps of paper. Servants refused to meet my gaze.

            I cock my head and glare at the different prominent scenes. Something feels off. Like they've been edited but I have no proof.

            "Do you see, sister?" Falon asks, something off kilter in his voice. "You are a plague upon the land. Since your disappearance our lives have flourished, we have brought a new era of learning and peace to the People."

            "You mean you slaughter those who won't follow you?" I bite out. Yes, I am still salty about all those people he killed. "Big friggin whoop. I'm not here for you, nor Mother, Father, or _any_ of the others that have the audacity to call me family. I'm here to right a wrong and that is it. Once I've done that I have every intention of fading into the background and living in solitude."

            "Ah yes," Falon is kneeling before me now. I suppress the flinch, he hadn't actually moved… just… between one blink and the next he was there. "The noble goal of Fen'Harel." Wolf Boy's name is like a snarl on his lips. "The demon turned corporeal. Pride." He rocks back onto his heels and drops onto his ass. "Freeing of the slaves. Tell me, where will they go? Who will feed them?"

            "I'm going out on a limb here and saying that they can take care of themselves." I roll my eyes and stand. "It's the nobles that need to worry. Without their slaves, whoever will suck their cocks? Or cook their foods, or bed their wives when the men folk prefer a different delicacy?"

            He is before me again, his hand wraps around my throat and he picks me up off the ground.

            "Filth." Falon snarls, "That is all you are. All you'll ever be."

            "If you are-" gasp "-unhappy with life," gasp "then change your lot. Make it better dickweed." My legs thrash out in a vain attempt to connect with flesh. Hands get a tighter grip on his forearms and I lift myself up. My feet snap up and use his chest as a spring board. I contort in the air, twisting to land on my feet about ten yards away. "I may have been responsible for a few shitty things in your life when we were younger, what little sister _isn't_ a pain in the ass." I wave a hand to indicate the world around us, "But this? Your life now? I have nothing to do with that. Don't lie this at anyone's feet but your own. You are responsible for your shit, not anyone else."

            Falon'din opens his mouth before snapping it shut quickly. His gaze goes over my shoulder and fixes on something. Or… I turn. Someone. Dirthamen has finally realized that we are gone.

            "Why are you two here?" Dirth asks in, what sounds like, confusion. I blink before I really look at him. Is he really this dense? Like… I disappear with the one person who hates me—probably—the most on this world and he wants to know why we are _here_? He is the god of secrets right?

            I sigh and run a hand through my hair, "I just want to go home, Dirth." Without looking behind me I move toward him and his outstretched hand.

            "Preparations shall be made for your return-"

            "No," I place a hand on his chest, "I want to go to _my_ home. With Lyko and Solas." His brows pinch down and he opens a mouth to protest. "It is my choice brother." I remind gently, "Please, just wake me up."

            Because I had been trying and was unable to, where ever we were in the Dream… I had no control here.

            "As you say." Dirthamen's voice sounds off, but his head tilts down and between one breath and the next…

            I wake.

 

I slam upright in the bed, blankets drape over my legs. My hands come up to pat my face. I don't know why I do that, there was nothing wrong with my face in the Dream, why would there be now.

            Chuckling lowly to myself I turn to get out of bed, noticing that Lyko has gone to do dragon things. A single scale is left in the center of her napping area. She's thinking of me while she is gone. A slight smile crawls across my face, but it quickly vanishes when my feet hit the cold bare floor.

            " _I have got to introduce them to carpet._ " I snicker as I do a quick waddle over to the covered area and my slippers.

            The sound of the door opening is loud in the silence of the room. Snapping around I prep magic to fly through the room.

            " _My heart?_ "

            His voice sooths a part of my soul. Melting I release the arcane that is twisting around him. " _Mhmm…_ " I sniff several times, " _For me?_ " I ask coyly as I stride toward him and the tray of food he's brought me. I take in his appearance, looking for anything out of the ordinary. There is a book tucked under his arm and… " _Who did that?_ " I whisper in concern.

            There is a new adornment to his face. His nose… it was once straight but now it was flat, and there was a slight crook to it.

            " _It is of no concern-_ "

            " _Well I **am** concerned._ " I retort as I take the tray from his hand and set it on the vanity. " _Come here._ " I demand as I grab his hand and lead him toward the bed. Gently I push him back until he is sitting on the edge of the cushy fluffy goodness that is _his_ bed—no I will never get over the fact that he gave me an inferior bed—and straddle his hips.

            A low growl of approval slips from between his lips. My hand quickly slaps his wandering hand, my lips form a thin line as I half-heartedly glare up at him. But he gives me that slightly crooked smile, the wolfish one that has the ability to steal my breath. Huffing out a sigh I tilt his face back and begin my inspection.

            He lets out tiny hisses and grunts of pain as I poke and prod at various places. " _Its broken_." I state confidently.

            " _Yes, I knew that my heart._ "

            My eyebrow shoots up in response, his clever fingers quickly push it back down. " _I'm going to have to set it_." I don't warn him when I'm going to do it. I have no doubt that he can handle some pain, after all he is battling our family to free slaves. But that doesn't mean he is going to be okay with me shoving the cartilage of his nose around.

            It slips back into place with a loud _crack_. He grunts and shifts away from me, hand on my face to hold me in place. " _Was that entirely necessary?_ " His voice is thick with pain. I smile sheepishly up at him before stretching a hand toward his nose. A quick touch and I can see when the pain fades into a shadow of itself.

            " _Completely._ " I chirp as I pull the raspberries toward me, " _Can't have you whistling in the middle of the night. Wake both of us up_."

            The wandering hands are back. He pulls me closer with one hand while the other slips up under the billowy shirt I'm wearing. " _You had me very worried._ " He growls at me, " _Please refrain from disappearing in the future._ "

            " _Please refrain from being an ass in the futu-_ " his lips cut off the rest of my statement. The bowl of red berries clatter to the ground as I fist my hands in his shirt and push up to my knees. He falls backwards onto the bed and I follow him down. " _I missed you._ "

            " _Then don't leave me again_." Is his answer. Smiling I lean down and press a kiss to his jaw. His arms wrap around me.

            " _We have a lot of work to do_." I whisper as I snuggle into his chest. " _Whatever is tainting my family… its spreading. We need to get the People free and fast._ "

            " _And we shall… however there is something that is required of me…_ "

            My head lifts of its own accord. " _Oh?_ " I question.

            He winces which causes my eyes to narrow into slits. I don't like where this is going.

            " _Mythal has asked that I attend a trail for your brothers._ " Breath shoots out of me and I sit up violently. " _Please, my heart, she is my greatest friend. She is worried about them as well_."

            " _Well her parenting techniques suck._ " I growl, " _Is the trail over what happened?_ "

            " _No… it appears they shared information that is restricted to the 'gods' with another._ "

             A hand shifts through my hair and I push into it. " _Mhmm…_ " I sigh, " _When is it?_ "

            " _A fortnight from now._ "

            Two weeks.

            " _I can live with that._ "

 

I zone out, the particulars of the trial have already been stated. My brothers, apparently, have been up to naughty things recently. _Why_ sharing the knowledge to shift into a dragon is illegal unless you are a member of the Pantheon is waaayyy above my pay grade.

            My attendance isn't a necessity but rather one of self-assurance. Wolf boy has made many enemies in the past few centuries and while I am not among the elite of our warriors I am not shabby either.

            That and Lyko is sitting outside of the amphitheater turned court room. The jury? You guessed it! My family. Tell me, how is the trail considered fair if the people who imagine the slight are determining the outcome? It isn't, but again… this is not my particular problem.

            Solas was asked to attend as a 'follower' of Mythal. He, I recently learned, was not always considered part of the Pantheon and had to earn his status. He was previously a slave to Mother Dearest. He says that it did not last long, however will not give me the particulars. He freed himself from her grasp, and it was at that moment that he learned how to break the chains of any slave. Remove the markings that designated to which lord they belonged too.

            I have to admit, this confession thoroughly ticked me off. However it is a story of inspiration to slaves of this time. It would be considered a 'from rags to riches' story back on Earth.

            A faint smile crosses my lips as I recall my friends again. By now at least a year has passed for them. I wonder if Lui stopped looking for me and how Little Max was. Did they have families of their own now? Have they found love, like I have?

            I hope, for their sakes, that they have. Even Nana who was falon but not falon.

            Flicking my hair out of my face I turn to look at the proceedings. It was not just my brothers on trial, but Ghilan'nain and Andruil as well. I have hidden myself in the back of the amphitheater, cloaking my presence. It would not due to start a fight here because Miss Huntress is delving into madness.

            " _Not only did you teach another how, but you created something new and dangerous in the process_." Elgar'nan barks out, " _This new creature cannot be controlled. How many more must suffer because of your short sidedness_?"

            " _Father_ -" Falon'din starts but is quickly silenced by a glare from Mythal.

            " _Enough child_." She growls, " _You knew better. This is unacceptable_." Her fierce golden eyes are narrowed into slits and she looks down on the four parties. " _I find you guilty in the charges that we have brought against you._ "

            " _Mother_!" Dirthamen exclaims, " _We did not_ -"

            " _No, Dirthamen, I believe you were blindly following your brother_." Mythal looks at him, " _However despite this you were quite aware of our laws. Tonight you shall be escorted to your rooms and placed under guard until we can come to a decision on your punishment_."

            So, even the Evanuris could be held accountable for their actions. But it looks like this only happens when the slight is against their own. Still… it is something.

            The four of them are lead away, assumingly to the palace where they will be held until Mother decides what to do with them.

            Solas approaches me, " _I am surprised that you decided to remain._ "

            " _My last memory in this city is being flogged for saving a child._ " I state drily as I entwine my fingers with his, " _May be return home now and begin preparations?_ "

            " _If that is what you wish to do, my heart_." He leans down and places a kiss to my temple, " _However I must remain until the sentencing._ " I growl something unintelligible, " _I am her enforcer, my love._ "

            There is no remorse in his voice, only duty.

            " _You are just as sworn to her as when you were bound_." I jab as I stand. Many of them are looking at us. With a flick of his fingers we are encompassed in a sound proof bubble. They would just have to go off of violent gestures. " _Why must you stay here? Are you going to carry out the punishment yourself?_ "

            " _It depends on what the punishment is_." He hedges.

            " _Right,_ " I throw up my hands. " _I'm going with Lyko, at least then I'll feel productive._ "

            " _Are you angry?_ " Solas asks, bewildered.

            " _Angry? Why would I be angry that we are acting very friendly with all the people that are the **root** of our problems!_ " I snarl, " _It doesn't make any sense! Why?_ "

            Solas sighs and reaches for me, it takes everything I have not to withdraw from him. " _It is a farce, part of a greater goal. My involvement in freeing the slaves in not common knowledge and they are struggling against the other Faction. Each believes I am on their side._ "

            I eye him, " _So this is the long con?_ " I am skeptical but… if it helps us in the end. When he nods at me I relent, " _Very well, how long does this normally take?_ "

            " _Several weeks if not months_."

            " _Right, I'll see you in a month then._ " I press a kiss to his lips.

            " _Where are you going?_ " His grip tightens around my wrist and I glance down at it. " _It is unsafe with your identity out in the open-_ "

            " _Hush love,_ " I place a finger over his lips, " _I will be safe, Lyko will be with me. But she cannot remain in the city for long and we have some catching up to do._ "

            The look on his face screams of worry, but I can tell when he reels it in. He nods—as if I need his approval—and releases his hold on me. " _Please try to check in every once in a while?_ "

            " _I'll send a raven your way now and again_." I smile and shift into a hawk. His fingers ruffle my feathers before he tosses me into the air. I squawk my displeasure at being thrown before turning toward the edges of Arlathan.

            Quality time with my dragon was long overdue. And… maybe a little mayhem on a prominent Lords lands. I can free slaves on my own terms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a cliff hanger, kind of not. For those of you that are lore savvy you probably know whats coming next. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


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